It was time.

Hermione had sat in on demonstrations of the Weather's training. The circle was nearly complete. The Death Eaters were none the wiser as far as they could tell. The charms were even ready to be added to each bracelet. Everything would have to rely on timing. Biggs would be awaiting her order by radio. He would have to move it and everyone would have to apparate just outside. Even then, it might not be enough to break down completely what was guarding the horcrux.

She had her team ready. The ones who would join her on the retrieval, and nine to immediately take it to the Burrow to destroy.

The circle was painted perfectly and Hermione had her nine: Cedric, Alejandro, Daphne, Fleur, Harry, Bianca, Bill, Tía Manola, and Kingsley. She had about ten more who would be guarding their backs just in case they had to dismantle some stray wards. Like Ron and Padma discovered, particularly strong artifacts still reacted. They would have to be prepared for the horcrux to react, but Hermione hoped it would be dormant until they could get it to the Burrow.

She called for a meeting in the barn. She had everyone on deck. Sirius had collected Hagrid and he in turn brought Madame Maxime and Grawp. Evidently, they had been keeping safe at her Chateau in France.

Grawp peered in through the window of the barn with two similarly sized Trolls, one of whom who spoke enough Giant to pass along instructions.

"This is it!" said Hermione. "What all of us have been training for over the past eight months!"

"Except our fearless leader," she heard someone mutter and her temper boiled over.

She drew her scythe and pointed it in the direction of the comment.

"Want to share something with the class?" she snarled. "I have been through hell because of you bunch undermining my authority! Next person to insinuate that I am not doing my part is going to eat my blade. ANY MORE FUCKING COMMENTS?!"

She was met with wide-eyed fear/concern. She let her scythe blade hit the concrete floor. It cut into it like butter, sending sparks flying.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" she said. "This is it. What all of us have been training for these past eight months. Some even longer. You have each been given a glowing charm, which is now attached to your bracelet. Around the entirety of Little Hangleton, we have a circle that will suppress magic for about twenty to thirty minutes. Team Alpha, that's my team, will be retrieving the horcrux and taking it to a secret location to destroy it. Teams Beta through Zeta will be keeping the Death Eaters off our tails. Now, being a ghost town, we actually only have about a two mile diameter space in this bubble. Cedric?"

He unfurled the maps along the wall. One of which had the perimeters marked clearly.

"The horcrux is here in the center," she said. "My team has trained to run a mile, but it should still take us eight to ten minutes just to reach the horcrux. Team Alpha, good on the plan?"

They confirmed it.

"Now the rest of you," she said. "Those of you who are unable to apparate will be going with Team Leader Biggs and Team Leader Bix through the tunnels. When we get radio confirmation that the circle is ready to activate, the rest of us will be following along via apparition. I want you to remain within the borders, you will know because the magic in these charms will be suppressed and will stop glowing. They are made with arithmancy so the magic won't be cancelled out like if they were made from a charm. When the circle collapses in on itself, they will glow and that will be your cue to get out.

"During this time frame, you will not be able to cast any spells," she said. "So your first task will be to keep out of range of the Death Eaters spells forcing them to come into the circle. You can evade or you can fight them hand-to-hand. Many of you have weapons on loan, courtesy of Griphook on behalf of the goblins. Thank you, Griphook, on behalf of the Weather."

"Of course," he said, nodding curtly.

"When you return, please place them in the proper bins," she said, gesturing to the bins along the wall. "Failure to do so will result in consequences of theft. And I want to be clear, this is not going to be a fair fight. Fight as dirty as you want. Split them up, knock them down a peg, make it difficult for them to recover. But don't let your guard down either. I know the Bulstrode Family has trained in weapons. We are not taking prisoners, resources are tight enough as they are. I actually want your objective to be to steal their wands if you can. Break them or keep them as a prize. They killed Ollivander and half his apprentices, the other half are already in safety, leave them powerless to find a suitable alternatives."

"The person who collects the most wands gets a prize," said Cedric.

Hermione pulled her scythe out of the ground, collapsed it, and stuck it into its holster.

"Is anyone unclear of their directive?" she asked. "Any questions about the mission?"

Remus raised his hand and she pointed at him.

"What if he's removed it?" he asked. "If it's no longer there?"

"I confirmed it was there last week and we've had spies watching around the clock, checking in every thirty minutes. If any of them were late or found to have been imperiused, we would have cancelled the mission. For the moment, everything has gone right. We have to stick with the plan, time correctly, and pray to every deity and ancestor for luck. Anything else?"

She answered a few more, repeating or clarifying where necessary.

"Biggs, how long will it take you to reach the destination?" she asked.

"With our troll magic, half an hour," he said. "And not to worry. They won't be able to navigate them without the aid of a cave troll. We have been creating a labyrinth these past few months."

"Excellent," said Hermione. "Team Beta and Gamma are a go. The rest of you, sit tight. Stretch out those hamstrings, breath deep. Don't want to be getting a cramp."

Cedric handed off the walkie talkies. They had a range as far as Scotland and worked underground.

Hermione stretched and worked out her joints before sitting down on her soap box to listen to the radio. Thank goodness for pocket spaces or it would take a long time to get those taller than eight feet to their destination.

The kids were safe in D.R. at the moment, being fussed over by their aunties and grandmothers.

"You going to be alright?" Cedric murmured, rubbing her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said.

The radio crackled.

"The stone is ready to move in position on your command," said Alejandro.

"Noted," Cedric replied. "Hold."

"LET'S MOVE OUT!" Hermione shouted.

The noise from dozens of people apparating at once would no doubt frighten the animals, but they would have to be soothed later.

Hermione appeared at the edge of Little Hangleton. Some of the Weather was already beyond the borders and feeling the effects of the wards.

Cedric clicked the walkie-talkie.

"NOW!" he shouted.

Death Eaters already began appearing, summoned by the disturbance and called to action by their master. Hermione watched the wards fall away and raised her fist in the air.

"CHARGE!"

Much of what happened on the outskirts, beyond her sight, would be told to her later. The first called Death Eaters had the nastiest shock of their lives when they pursued only to find their wands not working.

More came. The second wave had to deal with trolls and three giants bursting out of the ground. The trolls kept along the outskirts to pick off the stragglers as the magic suppressant circle did make them slower. Alejandro was largely unaffected, likely due to his wixen side.

Hermione focused towards the horcrux, her team in a formation behind her. It was the longest mile she had ever run and her heart was near bursting.

Just grab and go. They'd have to run to get to apparating distance, likely they would need to fight their way out or remain within this inner circle until they could leave and hope no one got too close to tag along.

They moved down the dirt path to the overgrown Gaunt house. The plants were mere skeletons, the life in the earth sapped.

"Oh, no," she said.

"Oh no? What oh no? Why oh no?" Tía Manola panted.

"Two horcruxes," said Hermione, no less winded. "And one… is alive."

She could hear the trap. She could recognize when she was hearing parseltongue now. Harry heard it, too, as did Márcia who had come along for back up with Kitty the Basilisk.

There was still dark magic. Weakened by the circle, but still enough to leave a lingering effect. To keep the two soul pieces in.

Perhaps one of Voldemort's bigger mistakes. The close proximity had created a tether between the two horcruxes.

Hermione led the way through the undergrowth. Already she could hear the sound of battle in the air and the deafening hiss of hundreds of snakes. There was a clear space just beyond a break in the tunnel and to the house, which seemed to only stand now out of sheer willpower.

The horcrux inside it, the strongest she'd sensed since the diary, was dormant. She got the feeling it would be their toughest to fight. The other circled along the outside, a massive snake even longer than Márcia.

"Leave this place!" she hissed. "Leave me to my prison!"

"How long have you been here?" Hermione asked and the snake paused to look at her.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes, though I don't speak the language."

"You…" said Harry in parseltongue. "I dreamed of you once. Long ago. You were Our Good Friend's pet."

"Not pet!" she spat. "I was his companion when he was a wraith! He was angry and trapped as I was. He promised to set me free of my curse. Instead, he used me!"

"I can break your curse," said Hermione.

"LIAR!"

"Some here have seen me do it," she insisted. "If you agree to let us retrieve the treasure in that place, we'll take you with us and remove your curse."

"No! I have trusted too many and been disappointed too many times! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"

Nagini launched herself at Hermione, fangs protracting. Márcia cut in, her own fangs coming forward. The pair landed amongst the other snakes, writhing and grappling with each other while the smaller snakes gasped and tried to move away.

"Harry, move around to that side and call the smaller snakes to you," said Hermione.

"Got it," he said. "Hey friends! Let's go around this way! Follow my voice. Can't have you getting hurt now, can we? That's it."

Hermione eased toward the house, avoiding the strings of the more persistent wards, ducking and weaving her way around them. She kicked the door in and sneezed from the dust cloud. The snakes inside were also pressed against one wall trying to follow Harry through holes in the shack.

The place had rotted furniture, the roof had caved in letting in a small stream of sunlight like a spotlight onto a box on the table that looked like it could collapse if one more leaf fell onto it.

It was the horcrux. The box was so small.

Hermione picked it up and quickly placed it into her horcrux hunting kit. She hurried out in time to see Nagini go limp. Márcia did as well, both bearing bite marks from the other. Márcia was immune to Basilisk venom, she would no doubt be fine from Nagini's.

For extra measure, Tía Manola petrified the massive snake.

"Help me," said Hermione, lifting Nagini's head.

Cedric helped her with the tail while Alejandro picked up Márcia. Others helped lift Nagini's heavy and awkward body.

"Are you sure you want to save this one?" Harry asked quietly, joining them. "I think she's the snake who… who killed Mr. Weasley."

"I don't know," said Hermione. "But she does claim to be cursed, so maybe she had no choice. You don't arrest the gun when a person is shot."

"But you still identify it in the murder," Harry countered.

"We'll discuss this later," said Tía Manola. "Look alive!"

They moved away from the house in time to see some stragglers that made it past. Bianca and Cedric ran forward to take them out. Hermione looked at the borders then at her bracelet.

The charm lit up. That was way shorter than they anticipated. She funneled Nagini into her purse, grabbed Alejandro and Márcia, and took them to the Burrow with her. No one else was around, but that might not remain the case forever.

She dumped out Nagini and the chest containing the other horcrux, then grabbed a roll of tape and her scrapbook containing her notes. She carefully wrote out the same line that broke the Greengrass' curse on the tape and slapped it onto Nagini's back, having Alejandro help roll her up and move her to the proper section.

"Thank goodness for liquid chalk," Hermione panted, noting the circle didn't smear. "So, some news. The two horcruxes are tethered. This could mean that if I destroy one the kick back will destroy the other, but it could also mean that they'll feed off of each other and make that one really hard to destroy."

"We'll handle it," said Tía Manola. "We have before."

Hermione nodded and opened the box containing the other horcrux. She dumped it into the middle of the circle.

"A ring," she murmured and furrowed her brow. Shit. This one… it belonged to the Purwaha family. Was this a Deathly Hallow? "Keep on your toes. We're stronger together. Places."

Márcia was already being looked after by several others who were guarding the house.

The interior had been gutted to leave room for the circle on the wooden floor. Hermione took her place, giving Tía Manola the Sword of Gryffindor and Cedric her khopesh while she readied her scythe.

"Ready!" she called.

They began chanting. Immediately she could sense the difference. Even before the dome formed, the horcrux stirred, powered by an ancient artifact and feeding off Nagini's life force. There was no need to activate it. The defenses unleashed, knocking everyone into the walls and causing the foundations of the house to creak and sway.

"Herminia, what are you doing?"

She looked up to see her mamá standing there, looking like she did the day she died.

"I know you think you need to do this preciosa," she said. "But think rationally. If you destroy this ring, I can never come back. I missed so much of your life, don't let me miss anymore."

Hermione didn't realize she was walking towards her until Cedric grabbed her arm.

"It's a trick," he said. "You know it is."

"Is it, habibi?" Belphoebe asked, standing over Nagini.

"Mum?"

The voices of the dead filled the room. Mamá, Tía Evita, Belphoebe, Mr. Weasley, James and Lily Potter, people Hermione didn't even know, calling out, begging for that one more moment together that all of them had been praying for. It was too much. It was overpowering.

"I'm sorry!" Tía Manola cried out and ran to the images of her lost sisters. "I'm so sorry! I should've been there for you! Let me make it right, I'll make it right, I swear!"

Hermione snapped out of it when she saw her aunt pick up the ring. It boiled with dark magic.

"NO!"

Tía Manola slipped it onto her finger and screamed as the skin it touched shriveled and turned black. It spread up her arm. Without thinking, Hermione brought her scythe down. It cut through flesh so easily. The image of her mother screamed too and turned to her.

"You selfish brat!" she snarled. "You would dare disobey your mother?! You little mistake! I never should have allowed you to be born! If you hadn't distracted me, I wouldn't have died. It's your fault and you won't make it right?!"

Hermione slashed through her. Tía Manola screamed and swung her sword, the blade cutting the soul away. Smoke rushed out, burning everyone within range, then dissipated. There was silence for a beat before their back up ran in and her aunt started wailing.

"My love!" Tío Greg cried. "Hold on, baby, I'm here. I'm here for you. You're going to be alright."

Cedric looked at her arm, shriveled up, blackened, and still wearing a ring that was bright and shiny, untouched by the curse. He stumbled over to Hermione and collapsed onto her. She wrapped her arms around him and looked over at the woman lying unconscious nearby. Daphne conjured a blanket to lay over her. Nagini. They had broken her curse.

Hermione kissed Cedric's head before collecting the ring. She gagged slightly as her aunt's fingers crumbled away. Oh, shit.

"Tía?" she looked over.

Tío Greg had stopped the bleeding and Penny was already tending to her.

"We have to get back to the house!" Diego C. called in. "I see Death Eaters in the sky."

"Right. Let's go," said Hermione shakily.

"I've got this one," said Harry, scooping up Nagini.

Bianca grabbed Alejandro's arm.

Hermione supported Cedric and apparated into the kitchen of their home. He stumbled over to the trash can and threw up. She hurried to his side and rubbed his back, swallowing back her own desire to vomit. His skin was red and peeling from the burns and she was reminded of when he fought the dragon. She was sure she didn't look much better.

"We need to take count," she said softly.

"Right… save the meltdown for later," he said and rinsed his mouth out in the sink.

Hermione tapped her bracelet, summoning everyone for role call. On her way to the barn, she was hailed by Tikki who insisted on checking her over and a paste was smeared onto her skin to prevent her burns from scarring.

"Keep guard over the woman brought in," said Hermione. "She's been cursed for a long time and might be confused or unable to control herself."

"Yes, Miss!" she said.

Hermione entered the barn and she and Cedric started the headcount in a booklet that was enchanted with a similar spell where if anyone other than the two of them touched it, all the contents would be erased. Many had already arrived, exhausted and worn, but okay and ready to inform her of what she didn't see.

"Let's just wait until everyone shows up for role call," she said when they tried to tell her. "Has anyone been lost?"

Bellatrix Lestrange and several members of the Bulstrode family were well practiced in weaponry, but the sheer numbers and aid from the trolls prevented deaths as far as she knew, though about a dozen or more would not be likely to join a physical fight anytime soon. Luck was on their side this round.

"Alright," said Hermione, keeping her hand on Cedric's shoulder for comfort. "This mission was a success! We got not one, but two horcruxes with this mission. Excellent work everyone. The most wands captured goes to Merula Snyde with fifteen, everyone give her a round of applause, and you win a day at the beach! Take a day, all of you, to celebrate your hard work. We had no losses. Why? Because all of you worked so hard to train and I'm so proud of you. The end is in sight. While we keep looking, we're going to maintain our previous goal. Cause problems, provide aid, keep ourselves in that stalemate. I'll let you know when the next big battle is. Dismissed."

She was exhausted, her legs felt like jelly and her muscles ached but her job wasn't done yet.

"If you need some peace, you can go to Hawaii," she said. "I'll be alright."

Cedric shook his head and opened his mouth as if to speak. Nothing came out and he pursed his lips.

"Okay," she said and squeezed his hand.

She went to the infirmary. All the injured had been moved there. Her aunt lay on a bed, grey and shivering, Tío Greg sat by her side. Hermione winced. There were heavy bandages at her shoulder.

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

"She'll live," said Angela, placing a blanket over her. "Why was this necessary, Nia?"

"The ring would have killed her," said Hermione. "I did what I could only think to do. Cut it away before it could reach her heart. I don't see any magic in her except her own."

"What did it do that would make her touch that?" Angela asked. "She knows better. She destroyed his horcrux. It injured her, but not like this."

"It showed her sisters," said Hermione. "It almost tricked me, too. It could have tricked all of us. We all have someone we want to see again but can't."

She went over to Nagini's bedside. She had been wrapped up in hospital robes, her eyes were closed. She was human. There was magic to her, but it wasn't like before. No horcrux and even the magic within her was calm whereas before it seemed twisted. A mess. She was a beautiful woman with long, black hair and beige, freckled skin.

There was a thud from the other side of the room that made everyone jump. Hermione ran over to see that Márcia had fallen off the bed. Well, partially. Her tail had hit the floor while her human half was still draped over the bed.

"Aaaa, my heaaad," she slurred. "Pickle plum evasion."

"Come again?" said Hermione.

Márcia continued a string of nonsense in parseltongue, then smacked her cheeks.

"Di' we'in?"

"We won," Hermione assured her. "Do you need anything?"

"Jsst leddit ride." Márcia slumped off the bed the rest of the way.

"Is your friend okay?" Angela asked.

"She got bit by a snake," said Hermione. "All cihuacocouah are immune to snake venom, even basilisk venom, it just makes them a little loopy. Like dolphins and jellyfish."

Cedric tapped her arm and nodded at Nagini. She was awake. Hermione went over and pulled up a chair.

"Welcome," she said.

Nagini blinked slowly, then looked down at her hands. Up close, she seemed to be bigger than the average human. Not Hagrid size but more like the human portion of Márcia's mother. How old was she anyway?

"I'm… me," she said, her voice heavy and a bit slurred. She was probably still feeling the effects of Márcia's venom too.

"I told you I could break your curse," said Hermione. "You are… Nagini?"

Her face tightened.

"That was my name when I was kidnapped," she said softly.

"And what is your true name?"

She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. After a moment Hermione thought she might have fallen asleep, but then she opened her eyes.

"Cinta," she said.

"Well, Cinta, who is your alliance with?" Hermione asked.

She became guarded and her lip curled back into a snarl.

"I won't become your servant!" she hissed. "I'm done being a slave! If that's all you want then you should have just let me die!"

"That's not what I asked," said Hermione. "Are you with Our Good Friend?"

"No. I'm done being his tool," she said.

Hermione looked at Cedric, who nodded. Cinta was telling the truth.

"Alright then," said Hermione. "How long were you at Little Hangleton?"

"Nearly four years," Cinta whispered. "He grew paranoid. He put a piece of himself in me. Is it…? I can't hear his voice anymore."

"Why would you ally with him?" Harry demanded. "He's evil!"

Cinta looked at Harry.

"You… the boy who lived… I could see through your eyes sometimes…"

"Answer the question!"

"Just tell us your story," said Hermione. "Help us understand."

"I was born in a village of Naga," said Cinta, her voice growing stronger with each word. "My village was like your friend there, but my family could only turn from human to snake. We eventually would reach a point where we could never turn back. A maledictus curse. I don't know how it came to be. I was just a young girl when our village was attacked by English wizards. All my kin were murdered except for me. I was a prize. Eventually, I was sold to a circus so people from all over could gawk at my affliction. I escaped and I enjoyed my freedom for a while until the day I could no longer return to human form. I was put in zoos, escaping when I could and then I met Tom. He could speak to me. He was kind to me. He said if I helped him he would break my curse, but he lied."

"Yeah, he does that," said Harry.

"Harry, please."

"You feel sorry for her, Nia? After all the people she's killed?"

Cinta twitched and scowled.

"I have killed before," she said. "Always to gain my freedom. Since Tom took me in, he enjoyed killing through me. I wouldn't have had a choice. You felt him too, didn't you? That urge."

Harry stiffened.

"I think that's enough interrogation," said Hermione. "Cinta is not in league with him anymore, therefore she is not our enemy. Save your energy. We'll discuss if she should be charged for her crimes or not when there is an actual fair judicial system. Cinta, you may recover here and I may move you to a different safe house."

She still looked suspicious.

"Are you stupid? I wouldn't keep a former enemy around."

"Well, I'm not about to send you back to Our Good Friend," she said.

"Why do you call him that?"

"The irony. Just rest for now. Harry, you can be in charge of her. You both have so much in common already. You had Our Good Friend in your head."

"Do you even care?"

"You know I do," she said. "Don't mistake my compassion for naïveté. Leave her be, that's a direct order as a leader, and a plea as a friend. Okay?"

Harry huffed. "Fine."

"Get some rest, Cedric and I are going to door number three."

"Yeah, sure."

Hermione tapped Angela's arm. "You'll tell me if anything changes?"

"Yes, go on and rest."

Hermione went to the floo room where there were now three doors. One went to Sirius' home in France, one went to the home in D.R., and one went to Hawaii. They were labeled simply as one, two, and three. She opened number three. It was dark and the house was quiet.

Cedric followed her up the stairs to her bedroom. They said nothing as they brushed their teeth and showered away the grime of the battle and changed into pajamas they had moved there.

"Nia?"

Hermione opened the door to the other bedroom. "Sorry, Bern, did we wake you?"

"No, I was already awake," she said. "Working on my thesis. How'd it go?"

"We won this round," said Hermione. "No losses as far as I know. Injuries, yes, but none fatal."

"Good. You and Cedric staying the night?"

"Yes, it's still too chaotic back home. We've only been up for a few hours but we're exhausted."

"I'll let you get to it then. Goodnight."

"Night."

Cedric had already laid down, so Hermione joined her husband. She switched on the fairy lights so they wouldn't be in complete darkness. They faced each other, foreheads pressed together.

His face twisted up and he broke first. Hermione embraced him.

"It was like the graveyard," he whispered. "Did I ever tell you about it?"

"Not really," she realized.

"When Harry and You-Know-Who were fighting, all these spirits appeared," he said. "One of them was my Uncle Eadric. He was killed by You-Know-Who before I was born. I think anyone who was killed by him could come through. Seeing my mum… Can that ring really bring her back? Can you bring my mum back? Please?"

"Cedric."

"Please…"

Hermione cupped his cheeks. "We don't know if it would really be her. And if those spirits we saw were really them… then that means that—"

"No. You know what that thing impersonating your mother said wasn't true," said Cedric firmly. "If she felt that way, she wouldn't have written you letters every birthday."

"I did distract her… I was scared of the storm and she turned back to comfort me."

"And she had the right of way and someone ran their stop sign," he countered.

It still stung hearing those words out of her mouth, in her voice.

"You're right, I doubt anything that comes from that ring is true," he murmured and kissed her forehead. "I just… I wish my mum were still here."

"I know."

"Just one more to go and then we can draw him back for the last one," said Cedric.

"Tell me nice things," she whispered.

"Well, my beautiful wife, we'll go on that honeymoon," he said. "Just you and me, and we're going to act like the kids we didn't get to be. We'll do whatever we want, see whatever we want, and no one will tell us what we can or can't do. We'll make love every night, eat what we like, and let the world slip away."

"Every night huh? Even during our time of the month?"

"We'll figure it out."

She chuckled and burrowed closer to him.

"And when we get back and you crown yourself supreme ruler with an iron fist, we'll enact all sorts of reform," he said. "Rights for all, equal pay, changing the system."

"And we'll have our family," she said, nuzzling him. "Dinners, game nights. I'd still like to wait until things are settled and our current kids are a little older before trying for a baby."

His expression softened.

"And hey, we have those doors, so you can sit for your N.E.W.T.s and finally start that job," she said. "If it's still what you want."

"It is," he said and kissed her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."