This Subdued Fire

*Protego Litigatio!* Not mine, never were mine, wish they were mine. Not making any money, no infringement is intended...yakety shamkety. Props to Kaz because I used her wonderful \'Ars Alchemica\' (which I wouldn\'t be surprised if JKR steals for the next book.)Things take a decidedly angsty turn here. Oh y.
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Quidditch season progressed and autumn lengthened into November. The Hallowe\'en half-holiday passed without incident and all seemed quiet on the western front. Hermione and Draco continued their association, perhaps a little more openly than before. Neither one was quick to criticize the other or make fun. Although by tacit agreement, friends were fair game. Their contrasting heads could be seen sitting on opposite sides of the same table in the library, studying and it gave the population of Hogwarts juicy gossip to chew on.

It was now the tenth week of classes. On Saturday would be the Quidditch closer - the matchup between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Tensions between the two schools were running extremely high, especially among the seventh-year students. Ron and Harry were sniping and jumping on everything any Slytherin said and vice-versa. Some Slytherins could still be heard singing snatches of \'Weasley is Our King.\'

For someone with loyalties so divided as Hermione\'s, it was enough to drive a person batty.

Ravenclaw managed to beat Gryffindor at the last match-up although Harry, predictably, caught the Snitch. That put the standings at present as Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. There needed to be some minor miracle Gryffindor to walk away with the Quidditch Cup for the seventh year running. The set of Quidditch hourglasses that resided next to the House Points glasses kept a tally of the points from each match. With five-hundred sixty points, Slytherin had the most green agate stones resting in the bottom bulb of their glass. Ravenclaw\'s glass had slightly less than that in blue agate, Gryffindor\'s was carnelian and Hufflepuff had an embarassingly small amount of tiger\'s eye in the bottom of their glass.

For the first time in the six year Hermione had been at Hogwarts she felt that she had a vested interest in the match to come later that week. She found herself standing in front of the hourglasses adding up how many points it would take for the balance to remain in Slytherin\'s favor, even regarding that Harry was very probably going to catch the Snitch.

Still standing there doing mental arithmetic, she jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder.

\"Eep! Damnit all to hell, Ron. Don\'t do that.\" She gave the red-headed boy an annoyed glare.

\"Sorry about that, Herm. Didn\'t mean to frighten you.\" Ron gave her a crooked grin.

\"That\'s alright.\"

\"So, trying to add it up to see who\'d need what to win?\"

\"Yes. Although it\'s proving rather difficult at the moment.\"

\"Well...all I can tell you is that it\'s going to be a really tough match. Everyone on our team is going to be slugging it out against those snaky bastards.\" Ron\'s face contorted slightly with extreisliislike.

Hermione could smell the slight smell of orange and woodsmoke that hung around Ron. It was vaguely comforting, if not stimulating the way lime and cayenne was. The pair turned from the hourglasses and began the walk to breakfast. Ron and Hermione floated their cauldrons of Pepper-Up Potion in front of them. The preparation of it wasn\'t difficult, but it had to be precise or the recipient of the potion would end up flaming red with steam coming out of his or her ears.

There were a number of students who had bubble enclosed cauldrons floating about them as they sat at breakfast. Hermione tucked into her plate when the owl post arrived. A few letters and a post card from an American cousin and the \'Daily Prophet\' subscription. She tucked a knut into the owl\'s leg pouch and sent it off again. There had been increased Death Eater activity in scattered parts of Eastern Europe, it looked like nothing more than mere taunting - except that Muggles were either missing, injured or dead.

It sickened Hermione knowing that there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Old enough to be considered an adult in the wizarding world but still too young to join the Order, it gnawed at her in a way that few things did. She learned that most Death Eaters were summoned at the age of seventeen - at Christmas. It amused Voldemort to initiate his followers into death and chaos on the day when most were at peace and joy.

Before they could be accepted into the fold they had to prove their loyalty in some way. A piece of invaluable information, proof of a death, something which irrevocably severed a witch or wizard\'s ties to the community and bound them to Voldemort. Hermione worried for Draco. He had become someone that she cared about and that she held in a somewhat fond regard.

Even Hermione had to admit, the going was slow with them outside of bed, but every gain made was worth it. Delving deeper into the many strata of Draco\'s personality, she found that he was like any other spoiled-brat only child, only with a few more layers of arrogance and bravado layered on top of it. If he weren\'t so Machiavellian, he\'d have been a perfect candidate for Gryffindor. He was playful when it suited him; serious when it was called for. Moreover, she was beginning to trust him. He\'d shown no signs of betraying her trust that he wouldn\'t out her to his father or to Voldemort.

Indeed, during their times together he\'d seemed enormously keen to discuss Quidditch, which ordinarily bored her to tears. But when Draco talked about it...the excitement that cut through the carefully crafted veneer of ennui was enough to make her sit up and take notice - thus today\'s perusal of the Quidditch tally.

Breakfast done, those taking Advanced Herbology filed into Greenhouse Five where there were brilliant red calla lilies kept. The flowers were big enough to stand in and they had a specific purpose: when dried and mixed with roses, daisies and lily of the valley, among other things they made Will-Strengthening Potion, which was what Snape was going to have them tackle next.

Walking into the greenhouse with Draco alongside yet trailing slightly her nose was almost overset with the powerful smell of gigantic callas in bloom. She staggered a bit under the onslaught. Draco automatically reached out a hand to steady her. Hermione smiled her thanks and took her place on the opposite side of the table.

Some of the more observant Slytherins among them made snide comments. To which Draco replied, \"Well, you\'re not looking at the mantelpiece when you\'re poking the fire.\"

The Slytherins laughed and one said, \"Yeah, but what happens when you\'re poking the mantelpiece?\" More hoots and chuckles, even from some of the Ravenclaws. The Hufflepuffs in the class were unwilling to jump into the fray that was sure to come. And the Gryffindors among them had blood in their eye. Hermione stepped in to stem the fight she could see brewing. It was her job as both a prefect and Head Girl.

\"Look, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Malfoy over there is just being his usual annoying arrogant self. My feelings aren\'t hurt nor am I offended. His comments, indeed, the comments of the students here are only representative of the feeble mentality of Slytherin House.\"

At this last the entire classroom, aside from the maligned Slytherins, burst into laughter. Even Professor Sprout, who\'d walked in to hear the last of Hermione\'s speech gave a low chuckle.

Plumeria Sprout clapped her hands and brought the class to attention. They were going to harvest the lilies and the other flowers which were ready to be taken to the Potions Master for brewing. The students worked quickly and effectively, chopping and mincing the flora and employing a swift *Dessicato* to them, lest they lose their active properties in death.

Hermione found the task tedious and had it not been necessary to have a thorough knowledge of flora for potions making, she\'d have dropped Herbology. It was the same with Care of Magical Creatures, but then again she needed to know about fauna. She\'d thought her seventh year would be harder than this. Hermione hadn\'t thought that it would consist of growing things and tending things chopping and cutting and stirring...all the mundane activities she thought ceased after crossing the line between Muggle and Witch seemed to have increased ten-fold.

Hermione thought her mother, an avid gardener, would have been very happy in Herbology. (And perhaps,) she thought belatedly, (I should\'ve just decided to go into Curse Breaking instead of potions making.)
A wry smile curved her mouth as she continued chopping the ingredients. She could no more go gallivanting around working for detestable greedy little goblins than could Harry or Ron spend their days huddled up in a laboratory surrounded by bubbling cauldrons. It occurred to her that she had no idea what Draco had decided to go into. He was in every one of her classes. She really didn\'t know if he\'d gotten a high enough mark on his Potions OWL to take the NEWT. Hermione sighed inwardly.

Although they\'d come to an amicable arrangement there was still so much that they didn\'t know about one another. She\'d been friends with Ron and Harry almost from the first and there was never any need to discover little things about them, it just happened. Hermione needed to work on that in relation to Draco. She was unused to hard work in that regard.

It was going to become harder with the approaching match. It seemed that there was much more riding on the outcome than just a Cup and House pride. The closing of the season was heavy and pervaded the atmosphere, dropping onto the denizens of the castle like rain laden air. Hermione had never paid much attention before except to give desultory cheers for her house. Everyone knew that flying was not her forte.

Hermione scooped the minced flora into meticulously labelled jars and stoppered them with cork. Professor Sprout then had her class begin harvesting the valerian needed to make a supply of Dreamless Sleep. They also needed small quantities of the valerian to brew Will Strengthening. The root of the word \'valerian\' comes from the Latin \'valere\' meaning to be strong. While the normal applications of valerian could hardly be interpreted as inducing strength of any kind, the sedative qualities of the herb had the effect of steadying the nerves and relaxing the user so that they would be able to focus be. In. In larger quantities, valerian was an excellent soporific, therefore its use as the main ingredient in Dreamless Sleep.

Professor Sprout called a halt to the activity and dismissed them. There was a flurry of motion as everyone packed up their supplies and went on their various ways. Hermione swept out of the classroom with nary a glance for Malfoy. Which, oddly enough, disappointed him.

Making her way back to the castle, Hermione found that she was the first to arrive at Potions. She inclined her head at Snape, who seemed surprised to see her.

\"Miss Granger.\" He nodded back. Severus was, horror of horrors, slightly embarassed by their last conversation. He meant to warn her, not come off as an interfering busybody. Merlin knew, he had his own problems to deal with without having to poke his nose into her affairs. In that vein, he\'d said nothing at all to her, which was as it should be.houghough per Albus\' instructions, he kept his eyes and ears open for any interesting tittle-tattle about her and Malfoy and dutifully reported it.

He was vaguely worried about the seemingly deepening connection between Hermione and Draco. Then again, Mages were often like that - their intense magical abilities often clouded their emotional reasoning. Added to the usual love-struck faradiddle that teenagers sunk themselves into...well it was a volatile situation. Things would have been much simpler had she and Harry fallen into it. Then again, he thought with a sneer, leave it to the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Piss-Him-Off to screw things up royally and fall for a Weasley.

Snape watched silently as Hermione set up her utensils for class. He noted the carefully bottled and labelled ingredients. Her cauldron was hovering alongside her, the reddish-gray of the smoking Pepper-Up Potion bubbling softly just the way it should. As much as he despised her show-offness and the irritating habit she had of questioning him, he rather admired the fact that she was an exemplary Potions student, despite his constant attempts to break her down. That stiff little backbone hadn\'t given an inch. He was vaguely curious as to why she hadn\'t exacted some cunning little retribution for the years of abuse she and her fellow Gryffindors had had heaped on them. Less than a year of Umbridge had apparently been Hermione\'s breaking point; Umbridge still hadn\'t recovered from her sojourn with the disgruntled centaurs. Severus was still amused by Hermione\'s ingenuity in dealing with Umbridge.

Snape buried his nose in \'Ars Alchemica\', reading an article about the various differences between English valerian and Mexican valerian. Severus made a note to write Professor Aguila at the Mexican Conservatory of Magic for more information. He peeked around the corner of his magazine, more students were filing in and beginning their set up. He could only send up a word of praise to whatever gods existed that he didn\'t have to be bothered with Longbottom this term. Saviour of the world or not, Severus found Longbottom to be a trial and a nuisance in the classroom and was glad not to have to put up with him.

The classroom finally filled with his advanced students (who would\'ve thought that Weasley and Potter would\'ve been among them!) Severus put down the journal and began to teach. He had them pull out the ingredients for Will Strengthening Potion and begin to mix them over high heat. When everything had boiled to a thin purplish consistency, Severus went into his cupboard and gave each student a scoop of a finely ground glittering green powder and a scoop of a glittering white powder.

\"As I\'m sure you know, *if* you\'d have had the common sense to do the reading,\" and here his lips curled into a disbelieving sneer, \"you would know that the main ingredients to any strength elixir are emeralds and diamonds. Diamonds, as even the most thick among you know, are the strongest substance on or within the earth. Emeralds are for constancy, so that your will doesn\'t waver in its new-found strength. Take a pinch of each and add it to the mixture and stir with your wands three times clockwise, three times counter-clockwise and three times in a figure-eight pattern. If your potions turn out, they should become the color of blood - the \'red badge of courage\' as it were.\" Snape\'s mouth curled unpleasantly and he went to check the progress of each student.

Hermione was just completing the last of the figure-eight stirs. She took her wand out and her potion became the colour and consistency of blood. Everytime a bubble burst from the boiling pitch it sent up a shower of cinnamon coloured sparks. Snape said nothing but raised his eyebrow before continuing on his way. His nose twitched appreciatively at the smell of callas and roses that the potion sent up.

Ron\'s potion, while not quite right, was at least a good approximation, being red and thicker than water. Harry, much to Snape\'s dismay, managed to get the potion exactly right. After the fiasco of the Vanished potion of fifth year, Snape decided to take pity on the boy, even though they harbored increasing enmity towards one another. Severus still had a duty to teach the boy although it was currently ranking towards the bottom of things he\'d most like to do. His lips thinned to a slit, Snape barked at them to put their completed potions in vials and leave them on his desk.

Hermione put hers on his desk along with her sample of Pepper-Up and began to clean up her things. *\"Evanesco.\"* The cauldrons containing the potions were perfectly cleaned. *\"Reducio.\"* The pots shrank until they were the size of lip color tins. Snape watched as Hermione stowed them in her bag and began to talk to Potter and Weasley about something inconsequential.

Her voice, Snape noted, was still slightly dark from the Polyjuice she\'d taken to become him those two months ago. He stifled a smirk. How young Malfoy must *love* hearing that voice in the middle of the night. Severus had to admit that it made it much easier to teach his class since her voice had dropped an octave or two. Lost the nasal quality it had, too.

The three of them left the room, still yammering on about something. Severus watched Draco standing around with his Slytherin friends listening to their chatter but Snape saw Draco\'s eyes follow Hermione out of the classroom. The Potions Master gave an inward sigh. He remembered looking at Lily like that and wishing in vain for things that would never happen. He envied Malfoy, who always seemed to get his way. Yet he worried for the boy, too. Christmas was approaching faster than he would\'ve liked and at this year\'s Revel all the new initiates were introduced and given their Marks.

Draco would have to take that Mark if he wanted to stay alive. It didn\'t sit well with Severus that he was in the untenable position of having to sit and watch as one of his best and brightest went over to the Dark side. But if Hermione was having some sort of positive effect on the boy...perhaps he could manage to keep his soul after all.

Snape watched Draco and the rest leave the room. All he could do was watch...and pray.
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The week sped by in a heightened state. The students were restless and ready for the fate of the Quidditch Cup to be decided. Saturday dawned Nordic and fair. There were four inches of snow on the ground that crunched under boots. Hermione kept her promise to Draco and wore the Slytherin colors. They weren\'t apparent to the casual observer but she decided to wear her grandmother\'s emeralds in her ears. They winked cheerily, oddly springlike against the wintry day. However, to keep up appearances, she was wrapped up in her red and gold muffler, a pair of gold earmuffs clapped on her head.

Seamus took to the announcer\'s booth and introduced the players. Nearly the whole stadium cheered as the Gryffindor team came striding into the open field, their scarlet robes blazing bright against the pure white of the snow. The stadium became quieter as Slytherin sauntered cockily in. Their viridian robes were reminiscent of summer leaves. The team mounted their brooms and flew up to playing height. Madam Hooch gave the team Captains instructions for a good, clean game, blew her whistle and released the Quaffle.

The play was fast and furious and hard. For every goal that Gryffindor made it seemed that Slytherin made two. The atmosphere among the stands was tense. The score was 70 - 40, Slytherin and the Snitch had yet to make an appearance. Blaise and Nott scored three more goals, taking their total to 100. Gryffindor was becoming downhearted and Slytherin began singing \"Weasley is Our King.\"

Then the tide turned. Ginny rallied and she and the other Gryffindor Chaser scored six goals, tying them with Slytherin. The roar in the stands became deafening. Hermione borrowed Ron\'s Omnioculars to get a better look at the action. Ron decided that he\'d had enough of Slytherin goals on his watch. He blocked shots like a champ. The only problem was Avery, the Slytherin Keeper, had decided to get tough as well. The game remained tied for sometime and the spectators were strung tighter than bowstrings.

Harry scanned the area for the Snitch, peeved that Madam Hooch hadn\'t released it yet. But then he caught a flash of something hovering near the announcer\'s booth. Surreptitiously easing ahead for a closer look, he saw it again. The damned Snitch was hovering right above Snape\'s head. Just as Harry confirmed it, it disappeared again. He looked again and there it was, nearly right on top of Lucius Malfoy\'s pimp hat. Harry\'s lips curled in disgust and he began streaking towards the governors\' box.

Draco looked up and saw Potter heading towards the governors\' box. He looked at his father, sitting there so smugly, not noticing that Potter was heading straight for him. Draco pushed his broom into motion and went up to stand level. Draco moved as fast as he could get his broom to go, that damned Firebolt had his Nimbus 2002 outclassed and outstripped. The observers were watching the scene unfold in deathly silence. Draco bent low over his broom and pushed it to go faster, ever faster. He was going so fast that some of the tail twigs began to smoke lightly with the friction from the air.

Harry was still a length ahead of Draco and Lucius still hadn\'t looked up from his conversation. The other governors were aware but said nothing, they were eagerly awaiting Lucius\' comeuppance. The woman to whom Lucius was speaking, oozing oily charm, slid unobtrusively down the bench and out of the line of fire. Harry pulled up, grabbed the Snitch and executed a turn, whapping Lucius fiercely in the face with his broomtail. The stadium erupted with deafening laughter after all the silence.

Seamus called the score. It was two-hundred fifty to one-hundred, Gryffindor. Added to the point tally, Gryffindor had seven-hundred forty points to Slytherin\'s six-hundred sixty. The Gryffindor stand erupted in a wild frenzy, students pouring out to the field in celebration. Harry flew down clutching the Snitch. His face was split in a wide grin. When his feet touched ground, Ginny swept him up into a fierce kiss and then the whole team became borne on the hands of their adoring House-mates.

The Slytherin team flew down to the field, their spirits crushnd tnd their hopes dashed. Draco\'s father strode out onto the snowy field, his grey eyes colder than the air the stood in. Draco braced himself for what was to come. Lucius flicked his cane at his son in indication that he should follow. Lucius said nothing. He was too careful, even in his anger, to let a stranger hear or see anything but what he wanted them to see.

Snape watched father and son disappear through the archway of the stadium, his heart feeling extraordinarily heavy, yet managing to school his features into passivity. He knew that Draco was going to pay heavily for Lucius\' humiliation.
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A bright blue jet of light hit the blond boy in the middle of the chest, sending him to his knees and making him convulse with pain and fear. Lucius spoke in a mild voice that belied his rage at being a laughingstock.

\"You do know, don\'t you, that you will have to make this up to me, don\'t you?\"

\"Yes,\" Draco choked out.

\"And do you know how you can do that?\"

\"Yes.\"

\"Really? *Do* you know?\"

\"Yes, Father!\"

Lucius smiled wolfishly. It was his habit to inflict the Veracitas Curse on his son and then speak to him only in questions, adding to the initial pain of the hex itself.

\"So. Tell me, my son. Have you learned anything interesting lately?\"

\"Yes, I have.\"

\"What, pray?\"

\"Lots of things,\" Draco replied a little defiantly.

\"Oh ho! We are still feeling saucy, are we? We\'ll soon take care of that. *Crucio*.\" Lucius flicked his wand lazily, as if it were of no importance that he inflicted an Unforgivable on his own son. Draco writhed in pain, hurting too much to even speak or scream. \"*Finite*. So. Are you ready to co-operate?\"

Draco breathed in heavily, both hexes off of him. Just when he\'d regained a measure of relief, Lucius hit him again. *\"Veracitas!\"*

The force of it sent Draco flying to the stone wall they were standing next to. The younger Malfoy dangled there, feeling as if his intestines were being dragged inch by inch from his body. \"Tell me, Draco. What do you know of Potter?\"

\"Nothing. There\'s been nothing.\"

\"Nothing? Aside from him knowing the full extent of the prophecy...What about the Longbottom boy?\"

\"He\'s....*groan* ...gotten a lot better at charms and hexes. Still no threat to the Dark Lord if he were pressed.\"

\"Yes. He hasn\'t been prepared like Potter has. And what of Potter\'s little friends? The Weasley girl?\"

\"Nothing. The Weasleys are just the same as ever.\"

Lucius\' mouth curved in a disgusted sneer. \"There\'s nothing I hate more than seeing a Pureblood family waste their talents like that. What about Potter\'s little Mudblood friend? Any interesting developments there?\"

Here was the sticking point. Every instinct in Draco\'s brain was telling him to lie but the physiological response that the hex enacted pulled the words from his mouth as if they were on a fng lng line hook. \"Yes. There are.\"

Lucius perked up. \"Really? What?\"

\"I\'m...I\'m shagging her, sir.\"

\"Tsk. I thought you had better sense than that. Ah well, I often dipped my quill into cloudy pots of ink in my younger days. Pureblood witches are so much more uptight than Muggles. Must be all that common blood running in them. Tell me, how did this come about?\"

And Draco, pushed to his breaking point spilled the whole story out to a fascinated and pleased Lucius. Draco managed to keep out the part where it would become obvious that the two were working on forming a relationship. Lucius ended the curse.
\"Ah, Draco. You\'ve done an excellent job. Who would\'ve thought, that mousy little thing - a Mage? It\'s nearly beyond belief. I must look into her background and see who her antecedents are. The Dark Lord is going to be very pleased with you. He may even deem you fit to join the Circle this year. Oh yes. This will certainly be enough to purchase his favor. I shall report to him at once.\" Lucius swept off across the grounds to the gates and he Apparated away to tell Voldemort of his new-found knowledge.
His son lay crumpled in the snow shivering with pain, fear and cold; the tears running down his face making red patches in the pristine white of the crystalline fluff.
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During the next two weeks Draco seemed paler than usual, jumpier. But his attempt to disguise that fact obviously worked. He was literally charming the pants off Pansy every chance he got. But he found ways to avoid Hermione completely. He couldn\'t look her in the eye anytime they got close.mionmione put this down to Slytherin losing the Quidditch Cup for the seventh year in a row. She gave Draco a wide berth and managed to contain her anger at his renewed interest in Pansy.

It was the next Saturday following the disastrous Quidditch closer and Draco sat at Slytherin\'s table with his hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, trying to steady his shot nerves. He was on pins and needles trying to figure out what the Dark Lord was going to do. The post was coming in and he saw a familiar eagle owl come swooping into the Great Hall.

He sat up straighter, anticipating the parchment the owl would drop in his lap. But no, it flew over the Gryffindor table and dropped the folded paper into Hermione\'s lap. Draco could only thank Merlin above that she was alone this afternoon, Harry and Ron were taking naps. He eyed her avidly, having some sort of idea of what the parchment entailed.

Hermione looked at the unfamiliar b edg edged cream parchment. There was a green seal set into it with a blurred \"V\" set into it. She cracked the parchment and scanned the contents once, twice swiftly and disbelievingly. The third time she read the parchment, all the color had drained from her face and her eyes had gone deathly dark. The parchment read:

*My Dear Miss Granger,

Although I know you know who I am, I am taking the time to correspond with you because I believe that you and I can strike a deal. You see, I have something you want and you have something I want. To be perfectly frank, I have your parents, your lovely, filthy Muggle parents, in my custody. I have been made aware of your particular talents and I wish to do a fair exchange for them. Your powers for your parents. Although they make charming pets, I don\'t think that they will be able to hold out much longer. Their stamina is not what one would wish, is it? I give you until the end of today to make a decision. Until then, fair one.

Lord Voldemort

P.S. Here is a small gift from me to you. Adieu.*

The eagle owl dropped a small package tied in brown paper into Hermione\'s shaking outstretched hand. She unwrapped it hastily and nearly lost her lunch when she saw her mother\'s finger containing her wedding rings lying amidst the wrappings. She grabbed up the letter and the decapitated finger and headed for the high table to speak in hushed frantic tones to Professor McGonagall.

Draco saw the older witch\'s face go paler than Hermione\'s and she leapt from her seat to herd Hermito tto the Headmaster\'s office. He looked down at his cocoa dispassionately. Not even that could steady his nerves and disgusted with himself and the situation he got up from the table without another word.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore reacted to Hermione\'s news with burning anger. Hermione flinched whenever those flaming blue eyes looked at her.

\"He\'s become bold. Minerva, Summon the others, we have until the end of the day.\" Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and went to Summon the Order.

\"Headmaster, I have to go, now. He\'s already...already!\" Hermione motioned towards the finger.

\"Yes, I know. But we cannot go waltzing into what is very likely a trap. Now, until the other members get here, suppose you tell me what has been going on?\" Dumbledore didn\'t mention that Severus had been keeping an eye on her for the past month and a half.

Hermione spilled the whole story, beginning with the initial fight in the Great Hall up until the Quidditch closer two weeks ago. And as she talked, the realization that the only one who could\'ve betrayed her was Draco sank in, a white-hot fury began to spread along her nerves like wildfire.

Dumbledore had had very few chances to observe a Mage, let alone one in the grips of a great anger. The only three he had ever known resided right here at Hogwarts. Tom Riddle had the irrational notion that he could make himself one by immersing himself into the Dark Arts. Instead he had only twisted his body and mind far beyond comprehension.

Hermione got up from her perch at the end of a chaise longue and began pacing the length of the room. There were drips of diamond white sparks falling from her hair and her clenched fingers as she paced the floor. Her feet left charred footsteps in the rug and her skin was so pale and bright it looked like she was lit from within.

Minerva came back intop Dumbledore\'s office with Kingsley, Tonks, Remus and Snape. The five took up surrounding positions, observing Hermione who was still glowing like mother of pearl. Dumbledore spoke. \"Come in, come in. We need to decide how to best go about this.\"

They talked and strategized and an hour passed. Another eagle owl came to peck at Dumbledore\'s window. The Headmaster got up to let him in and the owl dropped another parcel in Hermione\'s lap. She unwrapped it and her father\'s finger fell out. Everyone around stared at it in horror.

It was now four in the afternoon and the sun was sinking lower in the sky. There wasn\'t much time left and the time for talk was over. Hermione stood up and looked at the group with defiant eyes. \"Look, I don\'t care what you do, but I have to do something. You can either come with me or stay here.\"

Tonks spoke. \"Hermione, luv, we won\'t let you walk into that alone.\"

The others nodded their assent. Dumbledore turned to Snape. \"Are we all agreed? Yes? Good. Severus, the potion, if you please.\"

Snape conjured and passed around warm mugs of a bloody looking liquid tht smelt of roses and lilies and sent up cinnamon colored sparkles. Hermione looked vaguely ill. \"Will Strengthening Potion, Professor?\"

\"Yes,\" he drawled in a low baritone. \"We\'re going to try to beard the lion in his den, or rather the snake under his rock. We could all use a little strength of will. Drink.\"

They drank and they could all feel something harden within them and become resolute. The seven then left the grounds surreptitiously. It being a Saturday, most of the students were off getting into some sort of mischief. They made it to the gates unobserved.

\"Take my hand, Hermione,\" Minerva told the girl. Hermione did and they Apparated to the Granger homestead.

Hermione *Alohomora\'d* the door and all was deathly quiet. Except for the stillness and the smell, gods the smell...she would swear that all was normal. She led the way upstairs and into the master bedroom. What she saw there took hers and everyone else\'s breath away.

There on the bed lay her parents, stripped and sightless, only charred empty sockets where their eyes should\'ve been. They\'d been placed in a parody of lovemaking and their throats had been slit. The Dark Mark was traced in blood on the yellow walls.

There was a high-pitched voice behind them in the doorway.

\"Do you like my handiwo"
"

They all turned as one to look at Voldemort, who had his followers assembled behind him, wands drawn.

\"Hello, Tom,\" Dumbledore replied. \"I see that you\'ve gotten yourself into another fine mess.\"

\"Don\'t call me Tom!!\" Voldemort\'s voice became even higher. \"Don\'t EVER call me that!\"

\"Why Tom...you seem upset.\"

\"You old fool! *Avada Kedav-*\"

*\"Stupefy!\"* Dumbledore\'s spell hit Voldemort before he could finish the incantation and twistwisted wizard staggered under the force of the thick red jet of light.

Voldemort recovered handily and sent the Death Eaters rushing into the room. Lucius squared off against Hermione, Bella Lestrange sauntered up to Severus.

\"So. You\'ve decided to show your true colours, eh Sev? I can\'t say I\'m surprised.\"

\"We\'re not all flaming idiots, Bella\"

Bellatrix\'s face screwed up in her anger. *\"Stupefy!\"*

Severus dodged it easily and gave her a *\"Tarantellegra!\"* for her trouble. Her legs began their mad dance. *\"Reverso!\"* Snape incanted.

\"Damn you, Severus! Do you not have any blood loyalty!?\" Bella screamed in her frustration.

\"Sorry, Bell. When they were handing out blood loyalty, I got in the line for half a brain. So sorry.\"

Bella, incensed, shot off an angry *\"Crucio!\"*

She didn\'t hit Snape for he\'d reversed her movements and the spell veered off to the right and hit Hermione on the shoulder. The girl went down writhing in pain. Lucius stood over her, smiling cruelly. He watched as Hermione shoved the pain off and stood.

\"How did it feel fucking my son? Did your little Mudblood cunt enjoy it?\"

\"Oh yes, I enjoyed it. He enjoyed it, too. Do you know how your son begged me and pursued me for *weeks*? No? I quite liked having him dancing on the end of my strings.\" Hermione gave Lucius snide smirk, watching the older man\'s pale face go purple with rage.

\"You stupid little bitch! I\'m going to teach you a lesson you\'ll never forget! *Crucio!*\"

*\"Protego!\"* Hermione snapped her fingers and the Cruciatus bounced back to Lucius who was just able to duck out of the way.

\"Powerful little witch, aren\'t you? *Incendio!*\" Lucius shot jets of flame at Hermione, one of which she was not able to escape and it slashed across her face, leaving a livid red burn. However, before Malfoy\'s astonished eyes, the buealeealed itself completely. Hermione looked at Malfoy with fire in her eyes and hatred in her heart.

*\"Terra Liquatus!\"* Hermione shouted.

The action stopped and the house began to shake and shiver. Wind whipped through the room and the windows broke into pieces. The house began to sink as the earth beneath it turned to liquid. All of a sudden there were several loud pops as Voldemort and his Death Eaters Disapparated.

Hermione stood in the middle of it, a blazing orange aura surrounding her, seemingly unaffected by the shifting violence ar her her. Dumbledore shouted to the girl.

\"Hermione! Stop the spell or we\'re all done for!\" The older wizard grabbed at the wall to keep from falling.

Snape, who was closer, reached out to grab Hermione and he got a nasty shock for his trouble. His yell of pain was what brought Hermione to her senses. *\"Terra Firma!\"*

The rumbling and quaking stopped suddenly and everyone stood around gasping for breath. Remus ran over to Severus to see if he was all right. Hermione stood there, eyes sightless, yet looking around at all the carnage.

Hermione\'s anger drained away to be replaced by nothing. Her heart had literally stopped and all she saw was black - not even black, just nothing.
*********

When she awoke she was in her room and it was night. The day came flooding back in horrible numbing waves that sent her running to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet. The sound of retching echoed in the porcelain and marble chamber. When there was nothing left, Hermione rose on shaky legs and swished out moutmouth. The torches were totally extinguished and she didn\'t bother to light them, having no wish to look at herself in the mirror. She walked back into her bedroom, carrying a glass of water. She just stood in the center of the plush gryffin patterned rug. And she screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

The vibrations and emotions were enough to shake the castle and shatter windows and mirrors. Everyone and everything which resided in Hogwarts made their way to the Fat Lady\'s portrait, curious and frightened. Professor McGonagall gave the password impatiently and went through and into Hermione\'s room where the girl stood there, still screaming her head off. The terrible white light Hermione had exuded earlier was back and she lit the whole room brighter than daylight.

For the first time, Minerva McGonagall was afraid of one of her students. And just as suddenly as the deluge of sound and fury began, it stopped. Hermione became aware of a warm dripping falling from her hand and she realized that she\'d squeezed the glass she held to bits and the shards sliced her hand to ribbons.

Hermione looked at her Head of House with a terrible wide eyed stare. She then looked at her still bleeding hand. The cuts couldn\'t close themselves with glass still in them. \"Professor...would you mind?\" Hermione stuck out her hand.

McGonagall, relieved that she had something to do rushed forward and began to pick the glass from Hermione\'s hand and fingers. \"Poppy, could you come and finish up Miss Granger\'s hand? I need to speak to the Headmaster about something.\"

\"Of course.\" The mediwitch came forward and led Hermione into the bathroom to clean up.

McGonagall herded her Houselings back to their dormitories and then was astonished to see the crowd that lolled outside the Fat Lady\'s portrait. The older witch spoke in her most authoritative voice.

\"Alright now, that\'s enough of that. I should like you all to go back to your Houses.\" When everyone muttered and lagged behind, Minerva added an extra snappish \"Now!\" She watched everyone scatter like mad back to their Houses. Only Dumbledore and Snape remained, along with Draco.

The younger Malfoy looked awful, although he tried to hide it behind a raised chin and ramrod straight posture. Minerva looked down her nose at the several-inches-taller-than-she boy. \"Severus, don\'t you think Mr. Malfoy here should be going back to his House?\"

Snape raised one supercilious brow. \"Minerva, Deputy Headmistress you may be, but Draco is still my student. He\'s here per my request.\"

\"Don\'t you think he\'s done enough damage?\" Her strident severe voice flicked over Draco like a whip.

\"Minvera, that\'s enough.\" Dumbledore\'s voice gently chastised his Deputy. \"We should hear what Draco has to say.\"

She said nothing but allowed them to lead the way back to the Headmaster\'s office.

\"Mars Bar.\" Dumbledore gave his password and the gargoyle leapt aside to allow the small train up the revolving staircase.

The torches sprang to low life and illuminated the slumbering portraits of Headmasters and mistresses past. Some were awake and made no secret of eavesdroppinghershers were merely pretending sleep. Of all the windows in the castle, Dumbledore\'s remained unshattered. He saw Draco\'s glance taking them in curiously.

\"I Repaired them before I went up to Gryffind"
"

\"Oh,\" the subdued blond responded.

Dumbledore conjured a mug of hot chocolate and passed it to Draco. \"Here, take this. You\'re so pale you\'re nearly transparent.\" The Headmaster sat on a sofa and gestured for Draco to take the armchair across from it. Minerva and Severus took up seats in the small grouping, waiting to hear Draco\'s version of the story.

The young man took a sip of his chocolate and began the tale. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape already knew most of the events. When Draco got to the part about Lucius hexing him repeatedly every face in the room became stony and still.

Snape was the first one to speak. \"I saw you leave the pitch with your father that day. I had some idea of what was in store for you. But boy, why did you not inform me the minute Lucius left?\"

Draco got up from his seat, his narrow shoulders slumped. \"Father would\'ve killed me,\" the boy responded simply.

It was Severus\' turn to look defeated. \"Draco, do you honestly think I or the other professors would have allowed that to happen?\"

Draco\'s mouth quirked bitterly. \"After today, forgive me if I don\'t have much faith your abilities, sir.\"

Dumbledore spoke. \"It is too late for recriminations bla blame. We must now decide what to do about the information that we have. Draco, you may go.\"

Draco left the Headmaster\'s chamber without a word. He went back to his room and stuck his head in the fireplace and called Hermione\'s chamber. From what he could see, no one was there and the door was closed. The torches glowed low. Draco stepped into the fireplace and Flooed to her room.

He stepped through and observed her sleeping form. She looked pale and waxy. He had no one but himself to blame. Sinking to the floor at the foot of her bed, he sobbed at her feet until he had no more tears to cry.
*******************

The next morning, Hermione awoke and light swam into the room. She blinked away the last vestiges of Dreamless Sleep and braced herself for the headache she knew was coming. The images of her mother and father...

(Oh God, oh God....Mummy....Dads....)Hermione felt another scream bubbling up from her throat but pushed it back down.

She swung her feet out of bed and went to scrub down thoroughly. Hermione felt like she\'d never get the stink out of her pores. A long time later, Hermione pulled on a thick cream fisherman\'s knit sweater and a pair of brown leather trousers. She wanted to appear as put together as possible. She wanted to feel as if she had some armor against what was to come. Pulling on a pair of brown leather boots, Hermione twisted her hair into a severe knot at the back of her head.

She began packing for the journey to her Grandmother Granger\'s house. Taking a medium sized suitcase from her larger school trunk she tossed in essential items...she didn\'t have a dress for the funeral. Finishing, she put on a camel colored coat and scooped up Crookshanks and left her room.

Hermione trundled downstairs with her burdens and saw her friends sitting in the common room looking shell-shocked. Ginny got up to hug her but Hermione turned away. \"I want you all there at the funeral. I don\'t know what...what Mum and Dad have arranged, but when everything is settled I will owl all of you. Ron, Ginny, please ask Arthur and Molly to come...I would really like to have them there.\"

\"Of course,\" Ron replied, knowing his parents would agree. \"I\'ll walk you to the gates.\"

\"If you wish.\" Hermione turned away and went through the still enlarged portrait hole. Ron followed silently. Harry and Ginny sat on a sofa and comforted each other as best they could.

Ron, a few paces back from Hermione, noted the back-achingly straight line of her spine. He saw the looks and stares and he heard the whispers from the other students who were going about their daily routines. Hermione saw Draco out of the corner of her eye but did not slow down or make eye contact. It was as if he didn\'t even exist. And for him that was the deepest cut of all.

McGonagall had arranged for the carriage to be brought around to take Hermione to the Hogsmeade station. Hermione and Ron drew abreast of the gates and they parted to let them pass through. Professor McGonagall was there, watching silently.

\"Herm...\" Ron trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Hermione gave him a small mirthless smile and got into the carriage without a backwards look.

It rumbled away and Ron felt himself being pulled into a gruff, yet gentle hug by Minerva while the tears coursed down his cheeks.