The remaining couple of weeks of term passed without incident. After the fall of Dumbledore's Army and Dumbledore's departure as Headmaster, Umbridge was appointed Headmistress. The gossip that surrounded those events continued to buzz around the school, but action wise the time was pretty dull.
Hermione was rather surprised when Ron and Harry asked her to spend the Easter break with them at Grimmauld Place. Normally Harry and Ron didn't bother leaving for Easter, whereas Hermione made the most of every single opportunity to go home. Luckily she was able to easily refuse without offending the pair by claiming she had plans with her parents and needed to focus on her revision for their exams.
Upon arriving home for the holidays the first thing Hermione did was rush off to see her father. When he wasn't in his study and she couldn't find him anywhere she went looking for her mother. Kathleen was in the back garden, watching as several House Elves planted a row of rose bushes along the side of the lawn.
"Where's father?" Hermione questioned.
"He had a bit of business to discuss with Lucius." Kathleen replied. "Don't worry Sweetheart, he'll be back for dinner."
Hermione was slightly disappointed her father wasn't at home to greet her, but she shrugged it off and instead spent some time with her mother. As they watched the Elves work Kathleen explained the rose bushes were enchanted to always have flowers growing on them and had been recommended by Narcissa.
After spending a while in the garden, Kathleen and Hermione headed back inside. Shortly after they went indoors Voldemort arrived home and the family settled down to have dinner. Over dinner they talked about school and a few of the Death Eater plans, but Hermione got the distinct impression there was something her parents weren't telling her. Several times she'd caught them exchanging secretive looks and despite their outwardly happy faces there was an air or seriousness in the room.
"Let's go the front room." Voldemort suggested once dinner was over. "There's something we need to talk about, princess."
Hermione followed her parents into the front room and was rather surprised when they settled her on the sofa and sat down on either side of her. Their closeness to her was very unnerving and she was now seriously worried something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" She demanded, before either of her parents could speak.
"This is something we should have told you earlier, but I've been putting off." Voldemort sighed. "There's no easy way to say this Hermione, but the spell last summer didn't work properly."
"What do you mean, it didn't work?" Hermione frowned. "You're back to full strength and your magic is back."
"And both are fading fast." Voldemort replied. "I knew almost immediately that something wasn't right. By the time I arrived home that night, I could barely stand and my magic was so weak."
"What does this mean?" Hermione whispered. "Will you go back to how you were before?"
"We don't know." Kathleen answered, taking hold of her daughter's hand. "But it's a possibility. There's another possibility that we might also have to face."
"No." Hermione shook her head violently, refusing to let the other possibility enter her thoughts properly.
"Princess, you have to be ready for that." Voldemort said quietly. "I hope to hell it doesn't happen, but we have to be prepared. Once my magic fades completely, I might die."
"No." Hermione cried, a lone tear squeezing out of her eye and running down her cheek. "You can't."
"Everyone has to go eventually." Voldemort said sadly. "Hopefully my time hasn't arrived just yet. But if it has, I've had a good life and I've got everything I ever needed in you and your mother."
"What's going to happen?" Hermione asked quietly. "How much magic do you have left?"
"We can't say to be sure, but we think a few months." Voldemort replied.
"We?"
"Me, your mother and Lucius." Voldemort said. "We've been working on a plan since I returned."
"What sort of plan?" Hermione asked. "A plan to save you?"
Voldemort sighed at the hopeful tone in his daughter's voice as he slowly shook his head. "I don't think I can be saved, sweetheart. That spell I used last summer was a one-time deal, it won't work again and as far we know there's nothing else that can do the same thing."
"I don't understand. If the plan's not to save you, then what's it for?"
"It's to ensure the Death Eaters carry on with you as their leader." Voldemort answered.
Hermione gaped at her father as suddenly a lot of things fell into place. "That's what all this has been about. That's why you had me attend meetings at your side, even though I'm still so young. That's why you've been teaching me about the mark, and making sure I've asserted my authority over the Death Eaters."
"Yes." Voldemort nodded. "You were always going to take over, this just accelerated everything. Luckily you're bright enough and powerful enough that your age isn't an issue. You can handle this, Hermione."
"I can't." Hermione said softly. "I need you to help me."
"No, you don't." Voldemort insisted. "In a few months, you'll be in charge and you'll be fine. If you do need help, Lucius will be there for you. But I want you to take control and make the decisions, I know you're strong enough to do that."
"We both know you're strong enough." Kathleen added. "We've both watched you these last few months, you were born to lead the Death Eaters. You're a natural leader."
Hermione sat silently, trying to come to terms with what she was hearing. A lot of things made a lot more sense now and she understood why her father had been having lots of private meetings with Lucius and why he was so keen on getting her to show her authority to the Death Eaters. However she really didn't think she could lead them, she was just a school girl with very little experience of dark magic.
"We also need to talk about the other part of the plan." Voldemort said. He'd given Hermione a few minutes to start coming to terms with what he was saying, but they had more to discuss.
"What other part?" Hermione asked.
"The part where the whole world thinks I'm dead." Voldemort answered.
"Dead?" Hermione gasped. "But you said that was only a possibility."
"It is." Voldemort reassured his daughter. "But for what I have planned, we're going to need to fake my death."
"Why?"
"Firstly, while the Death Eaters would be happy to obey you if you took charge there might be problems if they knew I was around and in a weakened state. As long as they know I'm still alive, there's a chance they won't accept you as their leader."
"How does you being dead help?" Hermione snorted. "Surely that makes it even less likely they'll accept me."
"No." Voldemort shook his head. "In these last few months I've shown and told them that you are my successor. In the event of my death, they will follow you. They will become your army, not mine. If they think there is still a chance I might come back, it would lead to chaos."
"But you might be able to come back." Hermione said. "We can search for another cure."
"Even if we found one, I don't want to lead the Death Eaters anymore." Voldemort answered. "You're the future, Hermione, you're going to lead them to victory. Magic or no magic all I want to do is live out the remainder of my life, however long that may be, with the two witches I love."
"Are you sure?" Hermione sniffed, moved by her father's words.
"Yes." Voldemort nodded and smiled at his daughter. "I'm sure. My 'death' will pave the way for you to take over and I couldn't be happier about that."
"How are you going to achieve it?" Hermione asked.
"When I lure Potter to the Ministry, I'm going to let him kill me. Well, I'm going to let him think he's killed me."
"You're not interested in the prophecy, are you?" Hermione looked at her father, suddenly realising if he wasn't going to be around then there was no need for him to know the whole prophecy.
"No, the prophecy's just the bait to get Potter to the Ministry." Voldemort answered.
"How's this even going to work?" Hermione asked. "And why does everyone need to think you're dead? Why not just tell the Death Eaters you're dead?"
"Firstly, if everyone thinks I'm dead it'll give you time to settle in as leader of the Death Eaters. I suggest after my 'death' you lay low for a few months, let the Order and the Ministry think things have calmed down." Voldemort said. "And as for how my 'death' will be faked, Lucius and I have a plan. I'll have a protection spell on, meaning Potter's curses won't work on me. All I have to do is go down near to where Lucius will be hiding. He then casts a spell to transport me back home, leaving a pile of ashes in my place."
"Ashes?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "How does ashes prove you're dead?"
"When they die some wizards turn into ash. Sometimes it's old age, but a lot of the time it's due to them practising dark magic. No doubt Dumbledore will know all about this and immediately proclaim my use of dark magic has turned me to ashes upon my death."
"Okay, so what happens once you're 'dead'?" Hermione asked. "I'm hardly going to be in a position to rush back and call a meeting, I'll be stuck at school."
"That's all sorted." Voldemort answered smoothly. "Lucius will call a meeting and announce my death. He'll then claim that you're currently grieving, but will make a decision about the Death Eaters in a few weeks. Until you've finished school, Lucius can keep them in line."
"Then once I finish school, I take control." Hermione said.
"Yes."
"What about you?" Hermione turned to her mother. "Don't you want to take control?"
"No sweetheart, that's your job." Kathleen smiled. "I'll carry on as a Death Eater and will help you the way I helped your father. But I have no interest in gaining control of the Death Eaters, I'm happy as I am."
"There is another thing." Voldemort told his daughter. "I don't want you revealing your identity to the Death Eaters until you've left school for good. After these last few months I don't foresee any problems with you taking charge, but there might be problems if they know you're still at school."
Hermione nodded, immediately seeing the potential problems. A lot of the Death Eaters might have problems with her age, and if they knew she was still at school she could potentially see them taking advantage of the fact she wasn't able to leave freely. As long as they didn't know she was restricted in her movements, they would be wary of her showing up unexpectedly but if they knew she was stuck at school they would know she would struggle to get to them. Not to mention the fact that it could be dangerous for her if her identity was revealed while she was still at school. A lot of people would be unhappy with her true identity and she certainly wouldn't be welcome in Gryffindor Tower.
"Is there anything you want to ask me?" Voldemort asked his daughter. He was pretty sure he'd covered everything, but he wanted to be sure Hermione had all the answers she would need.
"I don't think so." Hermione said after giving the question some consideration. "But I do want a promise from you."
"Anything." Voldemort immediately said, before he realised she might want something he couldn't give her.
"I want to know you're safe every day." Hermione said. "Send me a message on my necklace, or if you get too weak send an owl. I need to know you're still alive."
"I promise." Voldemort said solemnly. "And I promise if things are looking bad, we'll get you home."
"I can have the Grangers have some sort of emergency." Kathleen said. "Don't worry Hermione, if the worst should happen we'll send for you."
"I don't want the worst to happen." Hermione whispered to her father. "I don't care if you go back to being weak and having no magic. I just want you to still be here."
"I'll try my best." Voldemort said, pulling his daughter into his arms. "Lucius and your mother are doing everything they can to help me and the three of us will do everything in our power to keep me alive."
Hermione was pleased to know everything that could be done was being done, but it didn't change the fact it might not be enough. The thought of losing her father permanently devastated Hermione and as she sat in her father's arms she broke down in tears. While Hermione cried her heart out Voldemort held her tight and when she calmed down they set about making plans for the rest of the holidays. While Voldemort didn't know how much time he had left he planned on making the most of every second and he was going to teach Hermione as much as they could manage.