Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, objects, words, or anything else that comes from J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series as well as anything from the Star Wars franchise owned by Disney.
Warning: This story will contain scenes of violence, bad language, and maybe other themes that some audiences may find unsuitable. You have been advised.
'Mind Link Language'
"Regular Language"
"Communication Through the Mind, Communicator, or Parseltongue/Draconian"
'Thought or Spell'
The Grey Army
"Where is everyone?" A Death Eater spoke as he entered one of the manors that functioned as a base for Voldemort's army. Despite its crucial role, it appeared lifeless excluding the two present.
"Gone. I'm the only one left here manning the gates." The man replied in a gruff defeated voice.
"What? What happened to them? Did the Grey get them?" The first one asked in shock.
"In a way. It's been four months since they first revealed themselves at Hogwarts, and they've made it clear they want us gone. Everyone else just decided to leave before they're killed."
"But what about our lord's wrath? Aren't they worried?"
The gruff sounding man shook his head. "Seems like they think they have better chances at surviving him than the Grey."
The newcomer tilted his head, looking at the last defender of the manor. "Then what are you still doing here? You don't seem torn up about it."
The older man chuckled. "Eh, I suppose I'm not. That being said, I know I'm rightly fucked either way. Rather not die, hiding from what I've done at least… How about you though? What you going to do now?"
"I'm going to do my duty until the end. Purebloods are the superior race and it shall be proven when we wipe out our enemies. Now, where can I go to make a difference?"
The old man shook his head. "I ain't going to try and persuade you. I got a floo in here you can use. Follow me."
The old man walked the newcomer back further into the manor before stopping and opening a door for him, waiting for him to enter. Once the young man entered the room, however, he felt something.
In a moment a sharp pain tore through his back and out his front. Looking down he saw his own blood, guts, and bone erupting out of the tiny hole left behind. A moment after laying his eyes on it, he collapsed to the ground, dead.
The other man entered the room and holstered the smoking pistol in his hand. The magically silenced barrel had not let out a peep. Slowly the black Death Eater robes seemed to dissolve and reform all at once into grey robes, the grey robes of a Grey Orderian.
Lifting back his hood, Draco looked down and spat on the corpse before looking over to the rest of his team.
"Looks like we had a straggler. I gave him a chance, but he was determined to be a shite. How's the clean up going?" Draco asked.
Astoria ran up and gave her Soul Mate a hug. "Well enough! Why? What do you have for us next?"
"Well enough, she says. We have a dozen bodies left." Vincent Crabbe shook his head.
George chuckled. "Technically, now a dozen and one."
"As much as you are right, you know her point. I'm ready to move on from here myself." Hermione said.
"And why's that?" Draco asked earnestly.
"Well. We were lucky that one was unsuspecting. It won't be long before Voldemort sends reinforcements here to see why this base has gone silent."
Draco smiled. "Good call. George and Astoria, can you two go start getting explosives set to blow with a trip ward?"
George grinned. "How big you want it, and any specific number of people?"
Draco raised his hand with his index and thumb set slightly apart from each other. "Just this much over the top, and you might as well set it to trigger on the entry of just one. Don't need someone coming in and exploring."
George and Astoria shared a wicked grin and ran off, giddy.
"How you are able to keep them at bay, I'll never know." Hermione shook her head, and Vincent nodded in agreement.
"The soul bond with Tory helps for sure." Draco then chuckled. "Plus, you just have to learn when and how to let them blow off some steam in a healthy way for all of us."
"Yeah, but they do still sneak fireworks into our stuff!" Vincent objected.
Draco gave a half shrug. "I just think we're lucky we've managed to bring it back to this point. You remember how they used to be."
Hermione and Vincent gave a quick look towards each other. Those were dark times.
"Wait… Isn't part of the reason they're so much better behaved is because of the war? What happens when it's over?" Hermione asked, concerned.
Draco and Vincent's faces dropped in fear.
"I… uh… we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Now let's finish up with these bodies before they get back." Draco quickly began using magick to dispose of the corpses piled in the room, the lights of the nearby fire casting shadows that danced across them.
Minutes later, the five exited the transport room at Hogwarts and made their way over to the neighboring debriefing room meant only for the Grey Warriors.
"How did it go?" Harry asked, only the five able to tell he was scanning them up and down with his eyes for signs of injuries.
"No need to worry,." Draco chuckled and pulled his leader into a half hug. "Explosives are set and armed to blow as soon as someone steps in. Voldemort's lost yet another base."
Harry hugged his third in command back. "You know it's impossible for me to not worry about all of you… which brings me to my next question…"
"Oh no. What is it?" Astoria asked warily.
Harry pulled back his hood and showed his face. "How would you feel if I told you it's time to pull our families' spies out?"
"Why would we do that? We have the advantage with them!" Hermione objected.
Harry nodded. "We do, but they are not our only spies in the enemy camps. Our years of preparation has ensured that, and I'm worried about how much longer anyone associated with us can go unnoticed. It's only thanks to their stupidity that they have not realized that our families are part of our organization, even indirectly."
Draco contemplated, talking with Astoria over their mind link for a minute before finally answering. "Have you brought this up with any of the others?"
"Yes. Actions have already been taken for everyone else's families. As for all of you… Tory, Daphne and I already evacuated your parents and the house elves, including Susan." Harry smiled softly, seeing Astoria relax at hearing the house elf's name. "George, Fred, Percy, and Bill feel the rest of the Weasley family is safe as long as they are on Dumbledore's side. With their loyalty to his old order, he won't let harm come to them. As for you three, that is your choice. Hermione, I think the time to get your parents to safety has come. How we do that is your call, though."
Hermione looked down at her feet, her mind racing. "Can… I have a minute?"
Harry grimaced in sympathy. "You don't even need to ask. If you want to go for a walk and come back, feel free. I just want to keep everyone safe."
"Thank you." Hermione left her hood over her face and quickly left.
Astoria gave a quick glance over to Draco and Harry before running after her.
Harry shook his head and sighed. Of everything they had planned for, this was the hardest. Looking back up at the other two men, he finally spoke again. "Both of you have seen and heard how vicious Voldemort is. Displeasure is enough of a reason for him to kill one of his people. I highly recommend we pull the Malfoys, Crabbes, Bellatrix, and Severus as soon as we can."
"And how do you aim to accomplish that without crippling our intel? When flat face realizes that our families were spies, all the intel we had on him will be worthless." Draco asked genuinely.
"Well, I actually had an idea about that. We can evacuate everyone and everything from your families' manors then make it seem as if they have been just additional targets of our campaign." Harry answered.
"You want to destroy our family homes?" Vincent asked, incredulously.
Harry shook his head and a finger. "Not your real manors. Replacements. We move the buildings to safe locations and place them under the Fidelius charm, then blow up the fakes."
Draco and Vincent stared at Harry in disbelief.
"We can do that?" Draco asked.
Harry nodded. "We can do that. So, what do you think?"
Vincent nodded. "I'm in." The two then turned to look at Draco.
The white haired boy sighed. "You know how much of a pain in the arse my father's going to be about this, right?"
Harry shook his head with a soft laugh. "Oh, I know, but I'll be right there with you to help."
"Fine, but first, what are you doing about Aunt Bellatrix and Severus? I mean I know they can take care of themselves, but it's still no small feat." Draco relented.
"Well… you may want to ask them yourself what their plan is…" Harry avoided the question.
"Wait. Did you already talk to them?" Draco felt something was off.
"Sort of. Let's just say the topic has come up before with Dad, and he's let me know about his plan." Harry lowered his hands into his pants pockets.
"And what does that have to do with my Aunt?" Draco started growing impatient.
"Like I said, you will want to ask him yourself. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go check on Hermione." As soon as the last word left his lips, Harry disappeared into the shadows.
"Cunt." Draco shook his head before him and Vincent left to start talking to their families.
Harry moments later emerged into the forbidden section of the library. Astoria on Hermione's right, holding her teammate in a half hug. Tears were dropping onto the table from Hermione's eyes. Astoria, despite her attention on Hermione, almost immediately noticed Harry's appearance, looking at him gravely. Harry sighed sadly and went to sit down across from them but halted.
"Hermione. Would you mind if I sat here with you?" He asked carefully.
The Warrioress looked up and looked Harry in his eyes before shaking her head. Trying to read her, Harry could see the regret in her eyes. Breaking eye contact quickly, though, he sat down and put his hands on the table. "I hope you know I'm not here to convince you of anything. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."
Astoria shook her head and sighed even before hearing Hermione reply.
"I know that's why you're here, Harry. Don't worry, I'll make sure I'll be set for the next mission, whatever it is."
Harry leaned back in shock. "You think that I only care for you as a warrior?" Harry shifted his gaze to Astoria. "Is that how you feel too, Tory?"
Astoria lowered her eyes for a moment before nodding slightly, and Harry's shock turned quickly to appall. Astoria's next words turned it even further. "Ever since the war began, you have been different. It's like you're no longer a friend, just a leader."
The leader of the Grey Army looked down, silent. Hermione and Astoria exchanged a glance, concerned. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.
"I'm so sorry." His head remained bowed. "I am so very sorry. None of you have deserved that…" Harry finally raised his head.
"I promise you. Not just both of you, but every one of us that I will be better. I've been so focused on protecting you guys and my duties as your leader that I neglected our friendship. So please Hermione. Talk to me, as your friend. I'm here for you." Tears started to well up in his eyes.
Hermione looked closely at Harry, taking in the side the other Grey hardly ever saw. "Well… as you know, my parents. They really don't know about what I've done with magick. They don't even know that school has been canceled or that there's a war, let alone that their daughter is fighting in it! Now, we're thrusting everything at them at once. 'Hello, Mum and Dad. These are my friends. We're here to take you to a safe location since we are rebelling against the government. Oh, and there's this dark lord who will want to kill you, too!' See how that sounds?" Hermione's normal Grey Warrior stoicness had dropped and had grown frantic.
"I had no idea how you felt. I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm here to help support you in any decision you make. We can send them on a vacation somewhere, or give them a job offer in America or somewhere else they can be under our protection and keep up pretenses. You don't have to tell them sooner than you're ready." Harry rested his hand on his friend's to try to reassure her. "And please believe me when I tell you that you have everyone here on your side. You're not alone."
Hermione withdrew her hand and sighed, shaking her head. "Trust me I've thought of all that, and the truth is I'm delaying the inevitable. They will have to find out sooner or later. It's just…"
Harry nodded softly. "That this has not been a conversation you have been looking forward to."
The Warrioress nodded sadly and sighed. "Harry… I'm sorry. I'm just scared. They're my parents. What if you had to have told Severus you wanted to quit being an Assassin years ago?"
Harry chuckled. "I once did."
The two women across from him recoiled in surprise.
"Really? You really did?" Astoria finally managed to ask.
Again Harry nodded. "Yes. After my first couple missions, I had started to already see the corpses pile up. I started questioning myself and told Dad how I felt. I even had the gall to tell him I was thinking of quitting. I was so scared, helpless. Here was a man who had literally been my light in the dark and showed me what life could be, and I was wracked with guilt for weeks leading up to it."
"What did he tell you?" Hermione asked.
"He told me, what I'm telling you: 'think clearly about what you want, and whatever you decide, I will support you as best as I am able."
"Wow. Severus can really be kind." Hermione looked down.
"Again, I am so sorry for how I've acted. Just tell me what I can do to help."
Hermione breathed in deeply and slowly let it all out. The library was eerily silent.
Two days later, six shadows appeared on the lawn of the home on the outskirts of London. Despite the lack of light in the sky, the shadows appeared to lengthen out of nowhere before materializing into figures in grey cloaks. A moment later, their clothes turned into those of normal teenages, jeans, tee shirts, and trainers. Hermione turned to the five leaders of the Grey Order before taking point and walking up to the door. She gulped one last time and knocked on it.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" Her mother rushed out and hugged the young woman. She then looked over her daughter's shoulder at the other five teens. "Who are these with you? Your friends?"
Hermione looked back to the group behind her, and Harry gave a slight nod. "Yes. Actually, they're here with me because well… is Dad home?"
Mrs. Granger looked at her curiously then nodded. "What's all this about?"
"Well…" Hermione's strength started to fail her.
"Hello, Mrs. Granger. My name is Harry, one of Hermione's friends. May we come in? We have something we'd like to discuss with you and your husband." Harry spoke as politely as possible. Daphne squeezed his arm in appreciation.
Mrs. Granger scanned the five leaders' faces, unaware of how dangerous each was before looking back to her daughter. "Of course, where are my manners? Please. Come in. Any friends of Hermione's are welcome." With a hand on her daughter's shoulder, the woman turned and led the teenagers into the house. "Dear! Hermione is here with some of her friends!"
After a few minutes of getting situated, The Granger parents sat together on a couch, obviously confused, with their daughter beside them while the other five Warriors sat across on another couch.
"So what are you here to talk with us about?" Mr. Granger broke the silence.
And so. The truth was revealed, and the situation was explained. The Granger's book-centric daughter was revealed to also be a Warrioress, a deadly foe for any who faced her. The two parents were shocked and, when the story was finished, silent.
"So you see. We are here to get you to safety. That is our number one priority." Harry summarized.
"Please. I know you two are probably disappointed in me, but right now I just need to make sure you're safe." Hermione begged.
"Hermione… what have you gotten yourself into?" Mr. Granger asked in disbelief.
Harry began to stick up for the woman but was interrupted. "She's-"
"Thank you, Harry, but I think I need to say this." Hermione turned back to her parents. "Mum. Dad. I'm doing what I think is right. The world of magick is much different than what Dumbledore made us believe. I am making a difference for the better. Yes, it's different than how we thought my life would go, but I have no regrets. I was a Grey Assassin, and now I am a Grey Warrior."
The five other Warriors looked at their comrade in pride. Her parents, however, did not share their feelings.
"How different can it exactly be, Hermione? You were going to learn about magick and how to use it responsibly, and now you're part of an army! I doubt Dumbledore meant that when he came to our doorstep." Mr. Granger was incredulous.
"Dad, do you remember when Dumbledore asked to speak to me alone? During that conversation, he asked me to spy on Harry here just so he could use him as a puppet, and in exchange my school fees would be solved. That's why we haven't had to pay for the school. He wanted an eleven year old girl to spy on another so he could use another eleven year old. If that doesn't tell you what you need to know about Dumbledore, I have a plethora of other examples of his transgressions. The Grey Order came up to me, but they didn't make me choose them. I did that on my own. This is my choice."
The room sat in silence, Hermione gathering her breath back.
Finally, Mrs. Granger spoke.
"Are you happy?"
Her husband and daughter turned to her in visible shock, while the other five managed to keep up their stoic appearances despite their surprise.
"Are you happy doing… what you are, Hermione? You don't have any regrets?" Mrs. Granger specified.
Hermione only needed a moment to get over her shock at the question to answer. "Yes, I am happy, Mum. As far as regrets, I wish I could have kept you both away from all of this, but would I make the same choices again if given the opportunity? Yes."
"Well, then I suppose that leaves us with no other options." Mrs. Granger rose to stand directly in front of her daughter before holding the young woman's hand. "What do you need from us?"
Mr. Granger looked at his wife, sighed then turned his gaze to their daughter. Silently in support, he placed his hand on her back.
"We need to get you out of here. If you wish to take a vacation anywhere in the world, we can help. If you want to start up your practice somewhere else, that's easy as well." Hermione smiled.
"We have always wanted to see Australia." Mrs. Granger turned to her husband. "And it has been a while since our last holiday."
Hermione burst into tears and hugged her parents. "Thank you both. Thank you so much. I swear it won't be long."
Harry and Daphne stood, prompting the other three to as well. "Mrs. and Mr. Granger, you have my personal guarantee that I will ensure the safety of you both and, needless to say, your daughter." Harry then looked at his personal lieutenants before returning his gaze to the Grangers. "And I promise you that your holiday will not need to last long. I will ensure that the British Wizarding War comes to a close as quickly as possible."
"Thank you, sir, but please, take care of yourself as well." Mrs. Granger replied.
Harry chuckled before his Warrior robes replaced his own clothing. The other leaders followed suit. "Thank you, ma'am. Hermione, I have some support on the way now to assist you. Whenever you're ready, we'll be back at Hogwarts."
Hermione ran over and hugged Harry. "Thank you, my friend. Thank you."
Harry's smile could be seen under his hood. "It's what friends are for. Now go be with your parents. We can hold down the fort for now." With a nod from Hermione, the five disappeared.
The five leaders of the Grey Order reappeared at the transport room of Hogwarts and started to make their way to the command center.
"So you want to tell us about that whole, 'ending the war soon' business?" Neville asked.
"I do want to tell you." Harry replied coolly.
Neville, Hannah, and Draco looked at each other then the other two.
"And?" Draco probed.
"And what?" Harry remained impassive.
"And what is the plan?" Neville asked, frustrated.
"Oh, that. Well there is one."
The three Warriors stopped while the other two continued for a moment before turning to look at them.
"Are you just trying to get on our nerves? What is the plan?" Draco asked, waving his arms.
Harry and Daphne laughed for a moment before lowering their hoods.
"I take it that I succeeded?" Harry chuckled.
Draco and Neville stood with their mouths agape.
"You bloody prick." Draco shook his head before walking up to join the couple.
"Fucking arsehole." Neville added as he and Hannah joined as well, and the group began walking again.
Finally after the five arrived at the command center, Harry turned back to his fellow leaders. "So this plan is not definite yet, but essentially, we are driving Voldemort into a corner. We have eliminated much of his forces, rebuked his advances, and destroyed most of his bases. We aren't leaving him much more of a choice. He will only have a couple targets left to choose from. With some persuasion from our spies that are left, we can ensure which one he attacks."
"With him losing many of his high council with the Crabbes, Goyles, Malfoys, Severus, and Bellatrix, he will want to show power." Daphne added.
"You want him to attack us here." Hannah realized.
Harry smiled. "Exactly. Hogwarts gives us the home advantage."
"You think he's so much of a fool to attack when the ministry failed so spectacularly? I mean he's dumb, but I don't think he's that stupid." Draco countered.
"Of course, he's not. He wouldn't attack without some advantage, and we are going to give it to him." Harry's smile widened seeing his friends' shocked looks.
"To end this magickal war, we can't just eliminate Voldemort. We need to stop the Ministry, too." Daphne answered the unspoken question.
"Wait. You mean we get the morons of the Ministry to attack us here along with Voldemort's forces all at once?" Neville asked in disbelief.
"How?" Hannah's face was stoic once more.
"What is the one thing we controlled better than anyone else before we revealed ourselves?" Harry asked.
"Information." Draco answered.
Harry nodded. "Exactly. We've already put the ministry in a similar position as Voldemort. The people are turning to our side seeing how well we are defending them from the phony lord, and are also seeing Fudge's incompetence at the same time. We are turning them desperate. So, using our spies we leak fake information to both. We tell Voldemort that the Ministry is attacking Hogwarts at a certain day and time, and we tell the Ministry the same thing about Voldemort."
"Next thing you know." Daphne began.
"They are both doing exactly what we want." Harry finished. "What do you think?"
Draco, Hannah, and Neville turned to each other and nodded.
"Where do we begin?"
AN: Keeping this note short just to say that I hope everyone enjoys and shows it how they can.
As Always,
Occidere Prima Vel Occidi