As the door to the dungeons dragged open with a ear splitting screech Hermione jerked out of her dream and back to reality.
Unlike most who had nightmares she could not console herself that these were only figments of her imagination. They were real. They were her past.
The rest of her her kind were to be burnt at the stake.
Wiping away tears that threatened to fall she dragged herself into the corner of her hoping beyond hope that they would leave her be. Just for a day.
She had a plan. But she needed time to recover from the torture that she was forced to endure every day. Hiding the nail which she was using to carve runes into her skin was only half the problem. She also had to hide the runes and hope that her captors did not carve over them.
It had been mainly physiological pain that she had been put through during the past week of captivity. She knew that it was selfish but she needed this and was grateful that there was respite from the alternative. For a month she had been given to Bellatrix Lestrange. Now that was pain. She was considered an enigma. Not unlike her Harry, who had survived the killing curse twice before the third hit, but due to her ability to keep her mind after extended exposure to the cruciatus curse. Over 12 HOURS total or so they claimed. Whoopy doo! Neville's parents had only lasted 20 mins before having their brains mushed to soup. Hmm soup... what was that about her brain being intact.
No. She needed, as much as she hated it, to watch them die. The other muggleborns, the Mudbloods, the unworthy. These were the names they were given now. But there was no alternative. She was going to change it.
That was what this project was. She would go back in time and change her future.
Voldemort had declared it poetic and right that Hermione Granger should be the last to die. Potter's best friend. The one who caused so much trouble. When she had almost bled to death on the floor of Lestrange manor he had been furious and so for the last week she was to watch the rest be burnt alive. Payback for the countless purebloods that the muggles had so ruthlessly attempted to slaughter out of fear of the unknown in the Witch hunts. Or so he claimed.
The door to her cell was thrown open and in danced Bellatrix, a manic grin on her face.
"Come now," she sung "time for another execution" hauling Hermione up by her hair she roughly shoved her out into the damp and dingy hallway. Stumbling after Bella, Hermione carefully mapped out her surroundings; drinking in every detail and storing it so that she could rescue any that had already been caught in the past when she went back.
She headed up a set of stone stairs old and worn by the many thousands who had visited the Lestrange dungeons, both as prisoner and guard; and into a deep green ball room with large windows leading onto a balcony that during daylight would make the place look a lot less scary. But it was night and the room was cold and unlit. Only a faint orange light shimmered in the window. A torch. Something to light the flame from under the pyre.
It had been lit when the killing of Mudbloods first began in the second war and would not go out until the last one was dead. Until Hermione Granger, Prisoner of War and Mudblood Princess was dead.
"Tonight it is a personal friend of yours Mudblood," Bellatrix cackled as she lead Hermione out onto the balcony.
"No…" Hermione whispered desperately seeing the dirty blonde locks of Dennis Creevey, once a fellow member of the DA, younger brother to Colin Creevey who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Holding Hermione's head tight so she could not turn away, Bellatrix watched with glee as dispair settled onto the Griffindors face. Donohov lit a branch off the flame and threw it onto the pyre, Dennis frantically squirming trying to get away from the scorching heat.
~o0OO0o~
A few days later she was ready. Ready to change for the greater good. It was just in time too. She had been declared the last of her kind the previous day and there was a huge feast tonight to celebrate, according to the guards rumours every pureblood and death eater had been invited.
And for the grand finally. Her execution.
Her skin ached with the pain from the runes and the sheer magic she was using to cloak them everytime she heard movement. But she had done it and prepared the ritual to go with it. It was time to begin the second stage.
~o0OO0o~
As Voldemort appeared on stage wild applause broke out from the audience causing a satisfied smirk to appear on his twisted, snake like face. Hermione, watching from her position chained outside the great hall, was sickened by the satisfaction that he displayed at his radical beliefs beong mirriored by them so easily. So eager to kneel. To bow down and let him do as he would to keep themselves alive. It is the greatest failing of the human race. On the whole, most will do anything to survive. There were always the few who did not fit, but they were easily crushed.
"My loyal subjects" he spoke softly yet the room fell silent as all listened in respect to their leader, "today we witness the end of an era. The last cancerous spore will be removed from our society and our world. Forever." Cheers broke out in the audience at the last word leeching off the hope that this would be the end of war.
Turning towards the door Voldemort waved a hand in a regal fashion and the doors swung open revaling Hermione to the crowd who was begging for bloodshed. For her blood. Attempting to stand tall and walk with confidence she stumbled into the hall. With another wave of his arms she was suddenly allowed to talk again.
"Well well well" Voldemort carresed the words as they left his mouth, mocking her, "Any last words? After all a dieing species shold be remembered shouldn't it dear..."
"Only a few" Hermione spat out before starting to chant, her glamours fell revealing the intricate runes for all to see "hinc me dimittere vitam reduceret et scisti tempus praeteritum"
The runes started to glow a bright white light that threatened to blind anyone who did not look away but as she shouted out the last few words a knive was plunged into her stomach making her falter back a few steps and but more importantly destroying one of the runes on her stomach.
As the world went dark Hermione's only thought was "I hope I did it"...
~o0OO0o~
An:let me leave this place to regain life let me leave this time and fix the past
Thank you for the amazing comments and support for this story! I am really sorry but I am no use with technology and could barely post this chapter nevermind edit the last! Hopefully I didnt make any mistakes quite so obvious this time!
Love you all!