Riddle Her This

Disclaimer: I am sorry but these characters are not mine, except a few at the end.

Pinkwands: I am not sure LV will view slapping as Punishment, but there you go.

Miepje: Not to me it wasn't! But then I am the author.

angel: Yep, it does!

Eternal Twylight: Thank you so much, this is it, the end, the finale, the OUTCOME! Hee, hee!

Amelia: Yes I thought it was twisted too, that's why I had that in mind.

shygirl: Your question is answered, and the wait is over, this is it.

Ravecka: Thank you, and I hope you didn't see THIS coming!

Dreamweaver: Yes, it was a good twist, I knew people would expect a boy, which is why he had a girl.

Jen: Hmm, sorry, I am a bit protective over my stories. I do have ONE fanfic story you can muck around with as I hate it, but this one... no, sorry, but I am flattered with your question, though.

lisa: Thank you. I like my stories to.

mandy -jg: Thank you for loving this story, and here it is, the rest.

Heather: Here is the update.

Lydia G: I have answered your review in an Author's Note...

The Outcome

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a collective group of people gather round a meeting venue and table to discuss a problem, that problem is never solved because half a million other problems are pointed out, and then the whole point of the discussion gets lost in a quagmire of formalities and legalities that confuse the issue entirely. In short; nothing gets done about the original problem.

That is what the issue with Lord and Lady Voldemort had become. Whilst everyone wanted to get the poor young Witch out of the Dark Lord’s clutches they all had a different way of going about it, and no one could agree with anyone else. Everyone had gotten tired of the conversation, and no one wanted to listen to Harry Potter because he was still fresh out of Hogwarts, and didn’t know a thing about how to go about these things properly.

Harry was getting more tense and nervous with each passing day. Snape told him that the Dark Lord was being an attentive husband, and wonderful father that Harry felt that something was wrong. This was supposed to be the creature that had murdered and killed people for a laugh; he really could not stomach the idea of Lord Voldemort getting down on his hands and knees playing with a baby. Even if it was his.

“Harry,” Snape said, “I agree with you! I more than agree with you. But we have to sit tight, until the Dark Lord reveals to me what his plan really is, then none of us can do anything.”

Harry had come to depend on Snape for information and he had become a sort of friend. Harry choked that word down. Snape was not a friend, he was just someone useful that was trying to help, and friend was too strong a word to describe it.

“Try harder, use all you’ve got! I haven’t seen Hermione for over a year!”

“She’s safe,” Snape sighed.

“But for how long, Snape?” Harry asked. He was pacing up and down Snape’s living room. He banged his hand on Snape’s fireplace, and then sucked his hand as it throbbed with pain.

“Destroy my home if it makes you feel any better, but it won’t solve anything, anger generally doesn’t!” Snape said coolly.

Harry frowned as he continued sucking on his hand. “Stop trying to sound like Dumbledore.”

Snape smirked as he looked at the young man before him. He too wanted to get Hermione as far away from the Dark Lord as he possibly could. He wanted her so much.

“Look, Harry, we all have our reasons why we want to charge in there like the cavalry and take her, but we can’t. We have to be stealthy, cunning, and wily about this, we can’t just charge, take, and leave and not expect any consequences.”

Harry sighed. “Just you make sure, Snape, that you get the plan soon.”

Snape sighed, and then he walked up to the drinks cabinet. “Whiskey?”

Harry nodded.

~*~*~

Lord Voldemort was watching his wife cuddle their baby. Lily was a sweet, quiet child, cried rarely, but when she did the whole world could hear. He began to feel that the time was right to set his plan in motion. He had to tell his followers exactly why he had done this. He looked steadily at Lily, a bright child. And one that had already shown a lot of magical potential, but the one thing that he felt happiest about this was, that she showed signs of being a Parseltongue. She played with Nagini the way a normal child would play with a kitten.

He folded the paper and put it on the top shelf. This was the one thing that Hermione was forbidden to touch. He walked up to his wife and tilted her chin up.

“I have to do something, dear,” he said. “I am loathe to leave this happy scene. But leave it I must.”

Hermione nodded and she smiled. She offered Lily up and he kissed his daughter on the head, all Lily did was gurgle. He stroked his wife’s face and then walked out of the room. Hermione watched him leave, she then decided to finally find out why that shelf was forbidden. It held practically a years worth of Daily Prophets. That’s how long she had been with him. She set Lily down in her cot and walked up to the shelf, she grabbed hold of the ladder and she stepped up it. She grabbed all the Daily Prophet’s and choked at the dust collected up there.

She walked down the ladder with the Daily Prophet’s clutched in her tenacious grip. She sat down on the sofa and found to her delight that her husband had kept them organised. She looked around the room, and her heart beat fast in her chest. It always did so when she knew she was doing something she shouldn’t. She looked at her daughter, who just had her head tipped to one side in baby contemplation.

“It’s a good thing you can’t talk yet,” Hermione mumbled.

~*~*~

Lord Voldemort had walked down to his Pensieve; he had some memories he needed to empty. The ones where he is being soft and fatherly for a start, it wouldn’t do for his Death Eaters to actually see that. It would make them feel that he has tamed. He had not tamed. He was still hard, and vicious and violent. That was what tonight was going to show. The whole world thought that now he was busy being a husband and father that he had, in fact, softened, and changed his ways. Tonight, he’ll show them. They’ve all been discussing this situation for so long, trying to think of ways to free his bride.

“How I’d like to show them my scorning face at their idiocy,” he mumbled into the bowl of silvery/grey liquid.

He emptied the soft, loving memories out of his head, and then proceeded to think about the Death Eaters he needed for this exercise. Lucius Malfoy: Severus Snape, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and he supposed Wormtail. He mentally ticked them off in his head; yes they would be the better ones. He would generally go for Narcissa too, but she seemed a little too close to Hermione, and whilst he liked that he felt that if Narcissa was called on to hurt Hermione, (not that he wanted Hermione hurt, it was just a hypothetical supposing), then the woman may not want to.

He raised his head and clutched onto the Pensieve in agony. What was this strange feeling welling up inside him now? It hurt! It hurt very badly indeed. He clutched onto his body, and his heart was beating… his heart? Oh Merlin! He was in love. He was truly in love. All he wanted to do now was be with Hermione. He was watching his softer memories swimming before him and he clutched hold of his heart. He wanted to be with her, now, and he didn’t want her hurt.

NO! He would ignore this horrible new feeling that had swollen in him. He would hate and despise the very emotion that was threatening to erupt into his well being, ruining his chances of ever being successful. He had to regain his composure and straighten himself up. She was a mere distraction, his wife, but not his true love. Lord Voldemort was too great for true love.

He pressed his wand against his arm and called forth all his followers that he wanted to talk to.

~*~*~

Severus felt his arm pulsate. He grew pale. Harry set his teacup on the saucer and placed on the table with a worried frown on his face.

“Don’t worry about me,” Severus said. “Invite Miss Weasley over if you must!”

Harry got up and patted Snape on the shoulder. “Listen, I know we don’t like each other, but come back unhurt. Please?”

“I will,” Snape said. He looked at Harry and gave his shoulder a manly squeeze. Harry winced, but it was too late to worry about that pain. Harry watched Snape leave, and he felt uncomfortable with it.

~*~*~

Hermione frowned. The World Federation of Wizards have been sitting talking about rescuing her, well, what if she didn’t want to be bloody rescued? She thought. Then she turned over the pages, and her expression turned from annoyance to hurt. She opened her mouth wide, and she looked down at her daughter. She looked back at the paper. She hung her head in shame.

“Ronald,” she breathed, as she stroked his face on the paper, “how could you do something so stupid?”

~*~*~

“Ah,” Lord Voldemort said, as they had all gathered into the room. He walked around each and every one of them. “I believe it’s about time to give you my plan.”

Severus schooled his expression to one of disinterestedness; he looked down at the floor.

“My Lord?” Lucius asked.

“You all have been asking me why I have decided to bring my wife into my embrace, well it’s time to tell you. When I first met her she showed me my future. But I also saw her future. She was a Gryffindor, and she had a Weasley hankering after her. No way could I let that happen to the last descendant of Dagworth-Granger, my long distant cousin.”

The circle gasped. Severus couldn’t believe it. He had known that fact about her, but he didn’t know the Dagworth-Granger’s were related to The Dark Lord.

“But, My Lord, why did she not end up in Slytherin?” Lucius asked.

“Well, that was a problem I sorted out. I allowed her to be a Slytherin. She was a star Slytherin immediately. She even told the Headmaster Dippet about Bumble’s affair with McGonnagall. She did that for me.”

“But, My Lord, what has this to do with us?” Snape asked.

“She was there at you’re parents time, Severus. She was friendly with Abraxus, and Greta. Abraxus especially wanted her, as did you’re namesake Uncle.”

Snape gulped. “My Lord, what is your plan?”

“I saw Harry Potter that day. That was why I chose him that night, I wanted to kill him, and then maybe get rid of the problem for good. Then when that didn’t work you know what I did… then she came to Hogwarts, I wanted to kill her before the incident occurred, I blamed her for showing me my damnable future! But then I saw something else about her in the carriage that day… that something was fertility, and possibly my only chance to live. I saw Potter’s nobility in her mind. Potter could never harm me, whilst I am holding my baby girl… the spell might rebound, and he’ll be the one to die… no snake would help him, no follower to allow him to stay on the back of his head, and the young Weaslette who read my diary shall come running back to her dear Tom, and she’d become one of us, out of grief.

Don’t you see, my dear children, THIS is the only way I can fully dominate the world. Potter’s nobility would get the better of him, and eventually, destroy him!”

Bellatrix grinned like a cat, and her smile spread across her face. Rodolphus and Lucius nodded to each other and smirked in full appreciation of this plan. The only one panicking was Snape. He had to warn Harry! Snape came to shuddering realisation that he cared deeply for the boy, that he wanted the boy to live. He grew to hate his Master more and more. Why oh why did he let that band of insipid useless Gryffindors get to him? He should never have joined the Dark Lord. Never!

“My Lord, what of your wife’s role in this?” Snape asked, after he had calmed down a little.

“She is to show Potter exactly how she feels about me. She will break his fragile little heart. The Ultimate Betrayal, wouldn’t you say?”

The small group laughed. “What exactly are we to do, My Lord?” Bellatrix asked.

“Just stand there, and don’t move a muscle until I tell you to.”

They nodded their agreement; Lord Voldemort nodded to each of them in turn.

~*~*~

Ginny had come over like Harry asked her too. She understood why Harry had moved in with Snape but still felt odd about being in his house.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Yes,” Harry sighed, “but another World meeting ended up in confusion and doubts. No one has a clue as to what they are supposed to do, and quite frankly, I am annoyed.”

Ginny curled up on his lap and snuggled right up to her boyfriend. The wards shook and Harry jumped out of his chair. He flung Ginny behind him and held his wand out. He held his breath, and Ginny walked closer to Harry’s back, keeping a hold on his arm. The door opened, and Harry was ready to pounce. A corner of a robe was seen swerving around the corner of the door.

“Put that wand down, boy!”

Harry breathed a huge sigh of relief. Ginny stepped around him and then Snape was fully in the room.

“What’s wrong?”

Snape sighed. He looked at these two youngsters… it was like 1981 all over again. How could he do that? He looked at them again.

“I’ll explain on the way!” Snape exclaimed, as he grabbed his travelling cloak, and threw Harry a cloak to.

Harry wrapped the cloak around his shoulders. He followed Snape.

~*~*~

“WHAT!” Harry yelled when Snape had finished explaining.

“I am not too happy with this either, boy, but he feels that somehow you should be the one to wander aimlessly for thirteen years to see how you like it!”

Snape sighed, and then he shook his head. “It wasn’t easy, you know. But I have to act like I am in agreement with him. I am taking you to him now. That is the only way we can get this done quickly. Miss Weasley, go back home. Your mother has suffered enough.”

Ginny widened her eyes and her grip on Harry’s hand tightened. “I love Harry, sir, nothing will make me leave his side! He was there for me down in the Chamber of Secrets,” Ginny said.

Snape noticed how tightly she was holding onto the boy. He shook his head. These Gryffindors are crazy! He thought to himself.

“All right, but when either one of us tells you to run, you RUN! Got it?” Snape said.

Ginny nodded mutely.

~*~*~

“Severus,” Lord Voldemort said. “What are you doing back so soon?”

“I have bought thee a gift, my Master,” Severus said, trying to keep his stomach inside his body.

“Yes, Severus?”

“I have bought thee Harry Potter!”

Lord Voldemort’s smile became reptilian. He clicked his fingers and Lucius, Rodolphus, Bellatrix and Wormtail stepped out of the shadows. Severus dragged in Harry, and Ginny followed.

“Two for the price of one, bargain!” Voldemort purred. He walked up to Harry and tilted his chin up. “Hasn’t changed much, has he?” He looked down on the Weaslette. “And you, I believe, you have altered quite considerably.” He smirked.

“I am going to kill you!” Potter hissed.

“NO!” A voice echoed around the room. Hermione stepped in front of her husband holding her child.

“Hermione get out of the way!” Harry exclaimed.

“Oh this all seems remarkably familiar, doesn’t it, Potter,” Lord Voldemort said conversationally.

“HERMIONE,” Harry yelled. “Get out of the way, please?”

“I love him!” Hermione exclaimed passionately.

Harry lowered his wand; he was confused, how could anyone in their right mind love him? Unless she wasn’t in her right mind? Harry peered closely at her. Her eyes were clear and bright. No, he had not messed with her mind. Lord Voldemort placed an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

“Do you mean that, dearest?” he whispered loudly. He kept his eyes on Harry.

“I do,” Hermione whispered. The whisper echoed around the chamber.

“What have you done to her?” Harry asked shaking with indignation.

“Did you know, Potter, that your dear friend and I have been in love for a very long time?” Lord Voldemort asked. “She and I are perfect for each other.”

“Hermione, please, take my hand.” Ginny said. “Come on, he doesn’t love you!”

Hermione snuggled further against him. Snape was feeling his jaw clench.

“You see, Potter, I have been playing the role of loving husband and father to perfection,” he stroked some of Hermione’s hair, and then he revealed the baby to Harry.

“Potter, meet my daughter, Lily,” Lily gurgled, and then opened her eyes. Harry was startled to find that they were green.

“Hermione, please get you and your daughter to safety!” Harry exclaimed.

“So you won’t hurt my daughter?” Voldemort asked, “how interesting.”

“Harry, please, don’t do anything!” Hermione said. The Death Eaters stood around watching, they loved the dark dramatics going on here. Harry gritted his teeth. He strode up close to the pair. He grabbed Hermione’s elbow and tried to free her, but she stood stock-still.

“Let go off her!” Harry hissed at Voldemort.

“I knew you couldn’t bring yourself to harm me, if they were in front of me. I won’t let them go, you’re mother died holding you in her arms, by rights you should have died to, but you didn’t, did you! If you’re going to kill me then do so… regardless!”

Harry looked at the two females in the Dark Lords arms. One of them was an innocent, a baby. He couldn’t kill a baby. He could barely kill an adult.

“I – I can’t!” Harry said sadly. He fell to his knees.

“Weak! Pathetic!” Lord Voldemort cackled. “You certainly have had a lucky escape my dear Lady. Imagine if you continued following him! Now, Lady, tell them again how you feel about me.”

“I love you,” Hermione said. Harry looked more dejected and miserable than before.

“Are you sure you want to continue living, Potter? Are you certain that life is for you, when those you love betray, die or hurt you? What is the use of love and noble feelings if all you get is thankless loyalty?” Lord Voldemort’s words wound sinuously inside Harry’s brain.

“HARRY, DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!” Ginny yelled. “HE’S GETTING YOU DOWN. I LOVE YOU, HARRY, YOU WON’T GET ME BETRAYING, OR HURTING YOU!”

“Oh, but my dear Miss Weasley, you cannot guarantee you wouldn’t die, can you?”

Ginny narrowed her eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, Tom!”

“Oh you’re not?” he asked with his head cocked to one side coquettishly. He held out his wand and Ginny collapsed on the floor convulsing in a painful Crucio… Harry stared on, his anger flooding him.

He raised his wand to get the Dark Lord’s wand out his hand and away from him. Harry was just about to perform the spell when it was already performed for him. He turned around and Snape was standing there, a wand in each hand.

“What are you doing, Snape?” the Dark Lord asked, as if he was bored.

“That girl happens to be one of my friends, as is the boy! I won’t let you harm either of them,” he said stoutly.

“Oh won’t you?” Lord Voldemort said in a sneer.

Snape threw all his anger and hatred into this one spell, he pointed the wands at the Dark Lord, and joined the tips together. The anger to fuelled and burned inside him, and he controlled and centred that emotion onto the two wands held before him, he aimed them at Lord Voldemort.

Harry had just about enough time to dive under the wands and take the baby, and Hermione off the Dark Lord’s distracted grip. He held onto them and dove onto the floor keeping the baby covered.

“AV-AR-DA KE-DA-VRA!” Snape yelled out slowly, the concentration of all his pent up hatred onto the two wands almost killed Snape.

“HERMIONE!” Lord Voldemort yelled as his last, dying word.

Hermione watched in horror, as her potential lover killed her husband. Bellatrix and Rodolphus gave one look to each other and fled, Bella holding her skirts in her hands. Lucius gulped. He backed into the wall.

“Snape, you wouldn’t kill me, would you? An old dear friend, we’re practically brothers!”

Snape said nothing as a silent stunning hex was sent Lucius way. Pettigrew looked at Snape, and changed into a rat. Snape sighed, and changed into his animagus form. A sleek black cat, and ran after Pettigrew, he ate the rat!

Snape changed back into himself and faced the survivors. Hermione got up off the floor, and she snatched her baby out of Harry’s hands.

“Hermione,” Severus said. “I am so sorry, but it had to be done… he was evil!”

Hermione sighed. “But that didn’t stop me from loving him, Severus.”

“Do you think that – well?”

Hermione sighed, and she looked down into her daughter’s eyes. She walked up to Severus and placed Lily in his arms. She yawned, and opened her eyes. Lily reached out with a small hand and stroked Snape’s large hooked nose and squealed with delight.

“Lily likes you, so I guess…”

Severus wrapped his free arm around Hermione’s waist and drew her in; he lowered his head, and kissed her deeply, and passionately.

“Do you like me?”

Hermione nodded. He smiled.

Epilogue

“Lily!” Hermione exclaimed. “You’ll get to school don’t you worry!”

“I want to be a Ravenclaw, just like Granny Eileen!” Lily exclaimed. They got her to the train and she rode off.

Hermione smiled the next day as a letter arrived from Hogwarts.

“Dear Mum and Dad,

I am in Ravenclaw, I am so happy. I didn’t want to be a Slytherin even though it was dada’s house, because I didn’t want to be in the same house as Junos Malfoy! Ugh! I also didn’t want to be in Gryffindor because I don’t like that arrogant Sirius Potter! I know that you’re best friends with Uncle Harry and Aunty Ginevra but he’s horrible. Hufflepuff’s are all right, I suppose, but they can be a bit boring.

So, here I am in Ravenclaw. Give my love to Eileen, Helen, and John. My darling baby brother and sisters.

Love from

Lily!”

Hermione sighed; Lord Voldemort’s plan hadn’t worked. He wanted to secure the Slytherin line, but all he did was perhaps unintentionally unite the houses. Severus read the letter and smiled.

“She’s going to be fine,” he said, “I promise you.”


A/N I want to thank all those who have replied to my long Authors Note on the reasons why I refuse to have a beta; and thank you for continuing to support me. I would like to point out that I have an Original piece of fiction in the DRAMA, ALL you have to do is click on my name and it comes up with all my stories. There is a link to Other Stories by Author, I really would love some of you to read that too, and review. Sadly this is it, Riddle Her This is over... I am rather tearful over this... Bad News: Also I no longer co-admin Men of Slytherin, I got chucked out, and I was deeply hurt and upset about that, as it was MY idea! So I no longer care for it... so if you want to ask for the address I suggest you google it.