October 6th, 5pm, 2002
"Are the outfits really necessary? They're so itchyyyy." Ginny complained. Hermione glared at her. "Yes. We don't want them to know that we knew that they were coming. That's the whole point of us pretending to be there by accident."
Ginny just huffed. "Fine, but you owe me like a thousand Galleons at this point."
Hermione only laughed at Ginny's expression.
The strike team that Ron had put together contained ten people, all experienced duellists, such as Hermione, Ginny, Dean and both the Weasley twins. Seamus was disguised as a patient, along with four other Order members, ready to help with extra backup.
"Right, the raid begins at seven, we need to be there by six. The rest of the Order believes we are going on a mission to infiltrate the Death Eaters Headquarters once again, so I must stress, this mission must remain secret. You cannot tell your partners, siblings, friends, pets etcetera where we were."
A waist height figure ran up to her, stretching her arms up. "Uppies! Uppies!"
Hermione picked the girl up, hugging her close. The girl had a mask on, blurring her features from view, but there was a gap for her mouth, allowing her sharp teeth to be seen.
Ginny looked over and a delighted grin spread across her face. "Hello Asteria!"
Asteria, the code name for Delphi, a name that seemed fitting as her hair had taken on a permanent shade of navy blue that faded into a pale yellow white. Delphi peeled off her mask and squealed.
"Aunt Ginny!"
Ginny had no idea of her true identity, instead believing her to be an orphaned vampire child, whom Hermione had found. Whilst Hermione didn't believe in using child soldiers, after all she had been one herself, she knew that the other side was playing just as dirty. Many of the werewolves that they faced were no more than ten or eleven years old. McGonagall had explained it to her clearly.
September 17th, 2000
"Professor, you can't be serious-"
"Miss Granger, have a biscuit."
Hermione's mouth hung open, her rant interrupted. "Delphi is four years old at most, how could you even think about-"
"Training her up? Teaching her how to kill? What exactly do you think Albus was doing all those years whilst he raised you three up? My dear, this is exactly what we must do to survive."
Hermione sat down, snatching a biscuit from the tray in front of her. "Just because it happened to me doesn't mean I want it for any other child-"
"The Death Eaters have been known to use child soldiers in the form of werewolves and animagi. I dinna like it any more then ye do, but we must at least try to use every weapon in our arsenal-"
Hermione cut her off, arguing her strongest point.
"If she dies, we lose our most valuable asset, how do you propose we get around that?" Minerva went silent. "This is true. We will discuss this later, when the training has taken place. Our morals have no place in this war Miss Granger, as unfortunate as that may be."
"May I at least be responsible for her training? I don't want to risk any extra people knowing her true identity."
McGonagall considered her request. "Yes, I do think that's perhaps the wisest choice. We will call her Asteria, and have her live in the orphanage when she isn't needed. Is this suitable for you?"
Hermione leant back, her feet coming up to rest under her. "Nothing about this is suitable to me, but it seems we have no other choice."
October 6th, 2002
Hermione passed Delphi over to Ginny. The child squealed a little, kicking her legs. Ginny put her on her hip, and refixed her mask. "What are you up to today, squirt?"
Delphi bared her fangs into a smile. "Killing Death Eater scum!"
It was jarring to hear such a small voice declare such hatred for other human beings. Hermione couldn't help wondering if they had done the wrong thing, by training her like this. There was no time for regret at present though.
"Right, is everyone suited up?"
Ginny muttered a yes and the others followed suit. Hermione counted, coming up two short. She could have screamed in exasperation.
"Where the hell are Fred and George?"
"Here-"
"-and 'ere!"
The two fiends appeared from under invisibility cloaks, giving Hermione a shock. She drew herself up to her full height and let loose her righteous anger.
"Did you even listen to my brief? You two could get us killed-"
"-Or worse captured, we-"
"-know Granger. We were just stocking up a little-"
"-on necessary items."
George opened his pockets, revealing within them a multitude of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes items, designed to irritate and decimate their foes. Fred did the same, prompting Hermione to hurry them along.
"Yes yes, very good, now can we get a move on? The portkey is supposed to go off any second now, so will everyone please get a grip?"
Ginny snickered. "On the portkey or on our lives?"
Hermione stared at her. "Really Gin? Alright everyone, hold on-"
The portkey and those attached disappeared with a pop.
The extendable ear under the door disappeared too, its owner retreating, to document the information heard.
The group arrived, in a heap at the hospital complex. Poppy Pomfrey and Slughorn greeted them, worried looks on their faces.
"Hello dearies, are you on the strike team?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes. Have you followed Ron's instructions?"
Slughorn beckoned them in. "Yes we have, we have uh- reordered the beds so the most vulnerable are in the uhm, hardest to reach places, and those who er are on life supportive type plans have been moved to the eh safe room down stairs."
Hermione nodded approvingly. "I see you followed Ron's plan to a T. Well done"
Some of the less wounded patients were also equipped with Weasleys Wizard Wheezes equipment alongside their wands and whatever potions could be spared to give them a kick.
Cho Chang sat on the bed closest to Hermione, her face still a nasty green from a hex that had nearly made her insides become her outsides. Hermione waved and went over for a chat.
"Cho, how are you? I haven't seen you since Amsterdam!"
Cho smiled softly. "Yeah that was one hell of a fight. How'd your hand heal up? I remember you refused treatment?"
Hermione motioned with it, revealing a completely functional left hand. "Yeah, I managed to fix it after a few tries. Are you ready?"
Cho sucked in a breath. "Yep. I'm going back to Grimmauld Place as soon as this rash is healed. I've missed the rush of fighting, it's kind of addicting and it's been a while since I've had my fix."
Hermione grinned at her. "Hell yeah Chang, that's the spirit. See you afterwards!"
The strike team headed for the damaged section, leaving only Fred in his invisibility cloak to watch over the entrance.
Fifteen minutes later, a magpie patronus came flying in, accompanied by a wolf's howl. Fred's voice began to speak out of it, but the team was already through the door, preparing for the slaughter.
It was chaos.
Three of the junior death eaters were attacking Slughorn who was fending them off, his forehead breaking out in sweat, Fenrir was stalking towards two of the injured wizards whom were fighting as hard as they could and Madam Pomfrey was shouting profanities at Rodolphus Lestrange as he flung hex after hex at her.
Fred was already on his broom, flinging irritating substances at Fenrir, trying to get his attention, and George joined him hurriedly, emptying a cage full of rabid pygmy puffs onto a group of Death Eaters. Seamus was out of bed, his hospital gown catching on the bed frame, causing him to swear. He crunched a fire spew mint that George had come up with and began to breathe fire at Draco, who shielded himself.
Hermione ran to join Madam Pomfrey, her wand raised high. She threw a bombarda at Lestrange, missing his head by mere inches, instead striking the wall, causing it to partially collapse. He turned towards her with crooked teeth and smiled creepily.
"'Ello little mudblood, come out to play? Shame my wife ain't here cause she'd enjoy carving another little piece off of-"
A blast of water hit him square in the face. Hermione couldn't understand how Bellatrix was married to that horribly ugly man. Behind Hermione, Delphi was busy tearing out one of the junior death eaters' throats, his terrified cries muted suddenly as she decapitated him swiftly. Hermione looked away, focusing on her own fight.
Roudulphous sent several killing curses towards Hermione and Pomfrey, both of them ducking to avoid his murderous rage. Hermione returned in kind, streaks of green flying from her wand. Pomfrey was clearly releasing years of pent up rage, her expletives increasing both in number and in profanity over the battle. Roudulphous was a dangerous killer, but ultimately just a man. Hermione struck him down with a green flash to the face.
His eyes lost their mad light as he fell slack to the ground. The battle was still raging, but as more and more Death Eaters fell, they became more and more frenzied. Fenrir had apparated away mid battle, the coward within him showing face. Several of the remaining Death Eaters escaped, apparating away, knowing they had lost.
Hermione wiped the blood from her lips, the tang still lingering in her mouth. When had she bit someone?
They had won, won a proper raid for the first time in three months. This could be a new start! Maybe there was something to look forward to! A feeling bloomed in her stomach, something warm. Was this what hope felt like? Then it began to hurt, a sharp pain building. She clutched her stomach, now in utter agony.
"Mione? Mione? What's happening?" Ginny's concerned yell came, muffled from behind her.
No, it certainly wasn't hope that was blooming, but a rose. A fleshy rose blooming from her stomach, punching outwards, covered in a thick red coat of blood.
And then everything went dark.
Unknown
"She's losing a lot of blood-"
"No shit! You better save her or I'll…"
"I don't understand how we could-"
"YOU LEFT HER WITH HIM?"
"Sleep now, witchling, sleep and be strong. Wake again tomorrow and all will be well"
"-Its morning and I don't-"
"-Don't let her-"
"-get out I swear-"
"Potter, its five in the-"
Hermione's eyes were bleary when she awoke, and she was unable to open them the full way. Minerva was sitting by her bedside, sipping tea.
"Miss Granger, can ye hear me?"
"I can. What happened?"
She struggled to sit up, rubbing her eyes. Minerva placed her tea down, sighing. "That my deary, is a very complicated story."
An hour after the raid
Ginny was in utter shock. Hermione had been hit by some kind of purple spell, something she didn't recognise and now she might be dead. Harry held her as she sobbed, his face grim.
Pomfrey came out of the room where Hermione was being operated on. "She's going to make it, but only just. It's a very good thing Miss Weasley that you gathered those potion ingredients because she's going to need them."
Ginny tried to push past her into the room but Pomfrey stopped her with a firm hand.
"She needs her rest, Miss Weasley. Please, get some sleep, it's been a long night for everyone."
She tried to protest, but Harry shook his head. She hugged him, sobbing out "What happens if she wakes up and isn't all right? I couldn't live with myself if she- she -"
Harry held tight to her hand and kissed her forehead gently. "She's going to be ok. We'll come see her when she's had her rest, in the morning. Right now, we're going to bed ok? You can't sleep in here."
The two young lovers went back to a room, to try to sleep away the few hours until dawn. Fifteen minutes later, Minerva approached Poppy, a harried look on her face.
"Poppy, I need ye to go to bed. It's been a long day, and ye need yer rest."
Pomfrey's expression said it all. "Excuse me? Are you asking me to leave my patient? Minerva, you know as well as I do that-"
"Get. Out. Of. The. Way."
A strange, gruff voice growled. Pomfrey stared at the cloaked figure standing with Minerva and her eyes narrowed. "Minerva? What on earth is going on?"
McGonagall shook her head. "I'm afraid I canna tell ye. I'll call ye in when we're done."
Pomfrey shuffled to the side, barely in time for the masked figure pushed in, fleeing to Hermione's bedside.
The doors closed. "You can take off yer mask Bellatrix."
Bellatrix growled at her, a primal sound. "Don't tell me what to do."
McGonagall rolled her eyes at the woman. "Very well. Now explain to me at once how ye got here and more importantly why?"
Bellatrix was holding Hermione's wrist, feeling her heartbeat against her own. She didn't look into Minerva's eyes, completely avoiding her gaze.
"That's none of your business."
Her snap lacked the venom of previous encounters, Minerva sensing there was something she was hiding.
"Miss Granger is one of my lieutenants, anything concerning her concerns me too."
Bellatrix stuck her chin up haughtily. "If it weren't for this bloody bond I wouldn't be here, but it made me come. I need to stay until she wakes."
Her words were harsh, and came out in a rush, but Minerva heard them. She sighed, sensing that as stubborn as Hermione was, Bellatrix had had twenty years more to develop that skill. There was no use arguing, at least not about this.
"Ye can stay until the first bird crow. Not a second longer. Her friends have been barred from this room until seven tomorrow morning, but they will not be patient. I don't know the nature of yer relationship with Miss Granger but-"
"What are you implying you old hag?" Bellatrix's eyes were glinting dangerously, her wand drawn. Minerva drew her own.
"Do not threaten me in my own base, Lestrange."
The words were solid, threatening, and dangerous. Bellatrix's nostrils flared, but recognising the threat, she holstered her wand again, unwilling to face a protective McGonagall.
"Whatever you may have been implying, know whatever you are considering is completely untrue. We have been forced together by circumstances I couldn't control and if I had of, I would have killed her before anyone could stop me. I feel nothing for this girl but what the bond forces me to, and even that is just a baseline of care. Don't you dare imply anything else you old bitch."
Minerva stared her down, her eyes narrowed slits. "Good. She deserves far better than the likes of you, Lestrange."
Bellatrix smirked. "It's Black actually. Granger did me a favor and ended my miserable excuse for a husband's pathetic life. I really should thank her."
"Very well, Miss Black. I will leave you be, but know if you hurt a hair on her head-"
"It doesn't work like that Minnie, I couldn't if I tried."
Minerva sighed exasperatedly. "Call me Minnie one more time Black."
Bellatrix flashed a toothy smile at her. "Gotcha Minnie. See you round."
"I'd really rather not."
Hermione blinked slowly, her head pounding with all of the new information coming in. "She came to visit me?" Minerva nodded. "She did indeed. Do ye have any idea why Miss Granger?" Hermione slowly thought it through. "She blamed the bond didn't she?"
"She did indeed. Miss Granger, may I ask how you came to that conclusion?"
Hermione's reply was interrupted by her friends bursting through the doors. "MIONE!"
Pomfrey shrugged. "I tried to keep them out, but Potter just threatened to go through the window instead."
Ginny leapt on Hermione, squashing her with a bear hug. A wince and a reproachful clearing of McGonagall's throat made her loosen her grip.
"Sorry Mione, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just so worried about you-"
Hermione grasped her ribs, still a little ginger. "'S ok Ginny. I don't mind."
Harry held Hermione's hand tightly in his own, as if when he let go he may never see her again. Even through war, they had remained close, despite everything. He was like her brother, same with Ron, who had just come through the door with a mug, presumably full of cow's blood. Hermione's face split into a smile.
He looked rather sheepish as he handed her the cup.
"I was going to be here when you woke up, but bloody Kreacher wouldn't leave me alone-"
Hermione tipped the contents of the mug down her throat as quickly as she could without choking. It tasted strange, but otherwise seemed to bring her a new kind of energy, and with the sense of rejuvenation, she tried to get up.
And took a nose dive to the floor, accidentally shattering the mug.
"'M fine-" she slurred. Ron exasperatedly picked her up, placing her back onto the bed. Ginny repaired the cup and put it on her bedside.
"Yeah nah mate, you need to rest. Sleep for a bit, you clearly need it."
Ron's voice was gentle but firm, brokering no arguments. Hermione would have tried to argue, but her eyes were closing on their own.
"What about… Lestrange…"
Ginny held her hand. "You killed him, remember?"
Hermione seemed to be struggling to say something else, but the sedative potion that had been slipped into the blood was working its magic.
As she slipped under, she heard Minerva hurling accusations and Ron's panicked voice. Then it was silent.
