Hermione stood at the kitchen sink drinking her morning coffee as she read the owl from Harry. Tears coursed their way down her cheeks as she saw the pain in each line that her best friend had written. Kreacher, that strange, brave, extremely troubled elf, was dead. She read again Harry's description of Winky's words about his going home, and the honour the other elves had bestowed upon their ancient brethren.
"Oh Harry." She whispered on a sob.
Shaking her head, she put the parchment down and turned to survey everything she now had set out. Billy had done his job and had obtained the fresh dragons claw and the three Rabikola livers. She knew the livers were particularly hard to come by, given they were a class three forbidden substance, not to mention, that even capturing one of hidden, Australian Marsupials was taking your life into your own hands. The extremely vicious tree dwelling creatures who were sometimes mistaken for their distant cousins the Koala, were more likely to rip a person throat out given half the chance, then to let even the most innocent creature pass it by.
Hermione sighed heavily, she knew she needed to get a start on the joining of her ingredients now, before she had the last used Horcrux, because then she might need to hurry before she was found out and stopped.
She lit a small fire under the new pewter cauldron she had just bought, and started to add ingredients. After each ingredient she added she would stir a precise number of times, either clockwise or anti-clockwise, all the time her wand was hovering over the mixture in her left hand as she muttered spells of various complexity and strength, a different one for each ingredient.
Finally, when the potion had turned a bright yellow and smelled vaguely of cat puke she added the livers, after three clockwise stirs and one anticlockwise she spoke a far more complex and brutal spell, this one designed to damage the ability of time itself to move forward. She repressed a shudder at the feelings of wrongness that the spell induced with-in her and proceeded, she had one more ingredient to go. Taking a deep breath, she added the Dragons claw and uttered an even more complex spell, this one designed to allow time itself to be re-shaped.
She watched as the claw slowly sank and the potion started to change to a pale lemon. At the first sign of change she immediately turned the heat down until the cauldron was barely simmering. She checked her watch and noted the time exactly because nine hours from now it would be time to complete, then she sank to the ground, feeling both exhausted and dirty.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "God, no wonder people don't use those spells, they're vile" she said quietly.
She felt like she needed both a sleep and a very long bath, although she had a nasty feeling that neither a sleep, or a bath would ever take away the sense that what she had just done was wrong. She had broken a fundamental law, one that said time should never be interfered with. Still there was a part of her that felt elated over what she'd just achieved, for Hermione, the sheer skill involved in what she was attempting was what drew her. This was serious magic on a scale she'd never attempted before, and she knew there weren't that many wizards or witches out there that could attempt this type of complex creation, but she, Hermione Granger, was one of the few.
She stood slowly, feeling old and haggard after what she'd just done. Gathering herself she cast a spell around the cauldron so no-one could accidently interfere with it while she was away.
After clearing everything else away and putting her house in order again she checked her watch.
She was late, it was time to get to the ministry.
As she was walking across the lobby she spotted Ron hovering near the fountain, which today was a Dragon, a Swedish Snort Snout by the looks of things. Luckily, he hadn't spotted her as yet, so she tried to keep behind Ralph Portleous, a rather large genial fellow that worked in Arthur Weasleys old office.
She had no idea what Ron was doing here, but as she started to mull it over, she realized it was probably because Ginny hadn't gotten her way with Harry, so now he was probably going to try to she if she could, perhaps, put in a good word for him. She snorted to herself angrily, the cheek!
And that would be just so like Ron! Well, she just couldn't be bothered dealing with him today, she was just way to tired and overwrought from her morning's activities, and having one Ronald Bilius Weasley haranguing her for something she couldn't control was most definitely, not on her list of things to do today.
"Hermione, my dear," said Ralph loudly when he spotted her beside him.
Damn, as soon as Ron heard Ralphs echoing greeting he swung around, as soon as he spotted her he started to hurry forward.
"Morning Ralph, can't stop to chat I'm afraid, I'm already late as it is," and with that she practically ran forward, leaving Ralph smiling and waving rather bemusedly after her.As soon as she got passed Ralphs bulk she spotted a full lift just starting to close its doors, relieved, she dived in, ignoring Rons frantic calls to her as the doors closed.
Sighing in relief she looked around, there were mostly aurors on the way to the office, not who she wanted to see at the moment, all things considered.
She smiled inanely and scooted to the back of the lift, leaving the rest of the crowd to form their own opinions on what had just happened. As the lift slowly emptied she finally got control of her racing heart, guilt was an insidious thing, she half expected to be nabbed right there in the lift for what she'd done. Stupid yes, she'd put enough protections around her house that even the aurors would find it difficult to track the strength of the spells she'd used. She frowned, that was the trouble with these types of spells, they left a mark, one that the aurors could see if they happened to be looking. And even now, so long after the events at Hogwarts and the death of Voldemort, she knew the aurors still kept a watch out.
She figured she had another day at the most to complete her preparations, and then all hell would break loose.
That being the case she went straight to the department of magical mysteries.
"Hermione, what a pleasant surprise," said Arturis Acton the department head when he saw Hermione enter his office. "And what may I do for you my dear."
Hermione smiled and fluttered her lashes at Arturis, knowing he thought of himself as a bit of a ladies' man.
"Good morning, Arturis, its lovely to see you too, I've just come down here for a little chat, if I may?"
Arturis beamed at her, and stood immediately, "please, come in and have a seat, you know you're always welcome in my office." He said with a smile that now bordered on calculating. "Now, what brings you to me, and more to the point, what can I do for you?" he added with what Hermione thought of as a rather hopeful leer.
She swallowed nervously, well here goes nothing, she thought.
"Well, with everything that's been going on lately I've decided to start a small project to, well, keep myself busy."
Arturis smiled sympathetically at her. "Oh yes, I understand, dreadful what happened, simply dreadful, I'll do anything I can to help, what do you need from me."
Hermione sighed, "I'd like to either have a look at the old empty Horcrux that Ronald gave the department, or better yet, I'd like to have a lend of it overnight to study it."
Arturis' eyes widened slightly and he gave a short bark of laughter, well I certainly can't let it out of the department you understand, but I may be able to let you have a quick look at it if that will help you? And then perhaps we might be able to go to dinner tonight?"
Hermione smiled at him in feigned delight, as if the thought of dinner with him was a wonderful idea. "Oh, that would be lovely Arturis, thank you. So, would I be able to have a peak at the necklace now then? And then we can discuss more pleasant matters."
Arturis came around the desk and offered Hermione his arm, "I agree, work before pleasure, it's always a much better option. Just this way lovely lady," he said with delight, giving her arm a meaningful squeeze as he grabbed it.
Smiling delightedly, he led her out of his office and straight to another room, this one Hermione recognised from her last trip here when she was a teenager.
"It's right here," said Arturis as he turned his back to her and unlocked a small glass cabinet. Hermione glanced around quickly to make sure the coast was clear.
As the cabinet opened, she lifted her wand from her pocket, "Obliviate" her mind whispered.
Arturis went still as his eyes took on a totally vacant look. Hermione quickly grabbed the locket and replaced it with a fake she'd had made, although not a perfect replica like the one Kreacher wore, she hoped it would suffice for a short time.
She then turned to Arturis, "you will close and lock the case knowing that you have shown me the locket and it is has now been put safely back in its case. When you awaken you will lead me back outdoors to the lift, making a date with me for tomorrow night for dinner. You will be extremely happy with yourself and pass the rest of the day and tomorrow in a fine mood. And you will not even think about checking on the locket again, it is of no importance to you."
She thought over what she had just done, and nodding she pocketed her wand and said, "Enervate."
Arturis closed the case as if nothing untoward had happened, he turned around smiling at her. "I do hope I was of assistance then?" he asked as he once again proffered his arm like a gentleman and led her back out the door to the lifts.
"So, what do you say, tomorrow night at the Leaky Cauldron? I hear they have a nice little jazz pianist playing this week, a young witch straight from the U.S.A."
Hermione gave him her most pleased smile, "that would be lovely Arturis, shall we say around seven?"
"Excellent," he answered, "I'll pick you up at your place then."
The lift pinged open and Hermione jumped in before Arturis could actually try anything else. As the doors slid shut, she called out happily, "seven it is, by for now."
And then she was free.
She had one more stop, and then she was out of here. She had to see Harry, knowing that he'd lost Kreacher, coupled with the words he been told, she knew she owed it to her friend to tell him what she'd gleaned over the years about the elves. Taking a deep breath she said, "Aurors office"
She got the usual pitying looks, quickly disguised by overbright smiles and greetings as she walked in. She nodded to people and gave them brief waves as she hurried straight to Harry's office.
As she walked in he looked up, a tired, infinitely sad expression on his face.
"Hi Hermione, how are you? I hope you managed to dodge Ron? I've had him banned from the office so he's been sitting out there all morning waiting to accost one of us about getting his job back I should imagine."
"I'm tired but good, and yes, I saw him, I was lucky, I managed to dive into a lift before he grabbed me. I'm imagining that things didn't go well with Ginny then?" she asked sadly.
Harry leaned back, a snort of disgust escaping as he said, "That would be a bit of an understatement. Short story, I've left her and moved back in to Sirius' place." He shook his head, "even after all this time it still feels like home, and now I've had Winky come and join herself to my house and family."
Hermione's eyebrows raised, "Wow, that is . . . unexpected."
Harry smiled, "Kreacher set it up, I think he knew he was dying, and he knew Winky was still unhappy at Hogwarts, so he asked her if she'd like to bind herself to me, and she did."
He gave a snort of laughter, "I arrived there expecting to find a cold dust filled house, and instead found a warm, spotless home, of course the entire night wasn't as good as the beginning."
Hermione nodded and reached across Harry's desk to cover his hand with hers.
"That's why I'm here Harry, not just to offer my condolences at your loss, but to tell you somethings I've found out about the elves, and a couple of my own speculations."
At Harry's puzzled look she said, "Harry, when they told you that Kreacher was going home, they meant it, literally. Look I know this may sound unbelievable, but after a lot of long talks with them over the years, and little bits and pieces of information I've picked up from them, along with my own studies, which you know, have been quite extensive, I've come to realise why the elves magic is so different from our own, and why our magical laws don't seem to apply to them."
Harry leant forward; his tiredness forgotten as Hermione continued.
"Harry, the elves are not from our plane of existence!"
At Harry's shocked gasp she said, "I'm not sure whether they're from another dimension, or a whole different plane, either way, they're not natural to this world. That's why their magic differs from all other creatures here, and why they can do things we can't. And here's where the speculation comes in, because I've heard elves mention the same thing about going home at last when they die. I think that death is the only way they can cross back to where they come from originally. Death means they can finally, go home, and for the elves, it's not a bad thing."
"Can you prove any of this?" asked Harry, his eyes filled with wonder.
Hermione shook her head, "No, and I don't know if they'd want me to, but I thought you should know." She smiled gently and said, "you can always take it up with Winky if you're curious."
Harry smiled slowly and nodded, "Thanks Hermione, this means a lot."
Hermione smiled and stood, "you're welcome, Harry, now I'd better get back to work before they send out a search party for me." With that she turned and hurried out.
Hermione stepped into the lift but instead of going to her office like she told Harry she would be doing; she went straight to the lobby.
She had one more thing to do before she finally went home.
It's time, she thought, time for a new Hermione Granger to emerge.
The lift doors opened and she hurried straight for the fire grates, as she neared them she felt a hand on her shoulder, panicking, thinking that she'd been caught trying to steal from the ministry of magic, she whipped out her wand and spun around, to see Rons angry red face glaring at her.
Crap! What now!