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Hermione Eve Morningstar-Granger met them on the train, she entered one of the compartments, containing two boys, obviously first years like herself. One of the boys radiated Destiny’s mark, and his fate was clear. The other had the smell of deceit and avarice. She kept her council and later, once alone, talked at length with her mother, Chloe, she in turn discussed the points raised with her husband of the last few millennia, Lucifer Morningstar.
They told her to follow her instincts, and deal with it as she saw fit. Hermione, sat in her bed within the Gryffindor tower following the sorting feast, and reviewed her thoughts.
Harry Potter was a fulcrum soul, around his life the future would be decided.
Ronald Weasley, might as well be Beezley she thought, he was as crude and selfish as Beelzebub herself. She made a note to ask Bee, if he was one of hers.
Draco Malfoy was a dead boy walking, she hadn’t decided when yet.
Albus Dumbledore, he thought he was a good guy. Oh the Hubris of the man. He would be fun to play with.
Lord Voldemort. What. A. Complete. Twonk. Stuck on the back of the Defence Professors head like a rancid boil. She sent his details to Mazekeen, she would enjoy the hunt.
Hermione sat alone at breakfast the first morning and observed people. She stayed quiet as Harry Potter, the child of Destiny, who the flesh bags called ‘The-Boy-Who-Lived’ sat alongside her. Sadly, this meant the Weasel sat opposite. “Will you please close your mouth whilst chewing, and swallow before you speak,” she reprimanded him after a few moments. She heard the snicker from Potter.
“Who put you in charge?” the Weasel whined, and took a bite, almost half a sausage, and made a show of chewing it with his mouth wide open . The rap across the back of his head with a rolled up parchment, was as surprising as it was welcome. “Mister Weasley, please do as Miss Granger requests, or I shall make you eat elsewhere, and I shall determine both your choice of meal and the portion size.” The Weasel slowed his masticating and closing his mouth glowered at Hermione. She had a stare that could rip a soul from its host, she wasn’t intimidated by an oafish eleven year old.
Draco Malfoy appeared, Hermione wondered just how flammable his hair oil was, one for later she pondered. He spouted off challenging Harry to a ‘Wizard’s Duel.” The Weasel jumped in and accepted before Harry had even taken a breath.
“No.” She declared. “It is not for you to accept Weasley, nor is it for you to dictate the time and place, Malfoy.” She turned to Harry, “He is simply trying to get you out of bounds, after curfew, and no doubt there will be a teacher or prefect waiting. Malfoy, literally means ‘bad faith’ he and his family have no honour.” She glared at Malfoy and held his stare until she was sure he had peed a tiny bit in his pants. “Harry, If you wish to duel Malfoy, you choose the time, place and style of duel, Harry. Not him. He has laid down the challenge, I would suggest pistols, outside in the courtyard after breakfast is finished.”
“Pistols?” Harry looked at her as if she were mad, “Yes, paint ball pistols, loser has to leave the blot on their uniform for the day, and take all the detentions it causes.” Harry laughed, “Where would we get….” She pulled a pair of paintball guns from her satchel. “Expansion charm.” She said. “I shall be your second, since the Weasel is still eating, are you ready, Malfoy?”
“After I beat Potter, I shall teach you some manners. Mudblood.” The haughty ponce replied. Hermione stood, “The blood of kings and emperors runs in my veins, little boy, my ancestors ruled before your family existed.” She set off carrying the two guns on a conjured cushion, with a growing crowd in their wake.
They arrived in the courtyard, and standing the pair back to back, as instructed they took five paces, and stopped. “Now.” She called, they turned as one, Harry as she had told him, let Draco fire, and simply dodged his paintball, the green pellet hitting the wall behind Harry. Harry fired and hit Draco squarely over the heart. Splattering his Slytherin crest in red paint. “And the winner is, Harry Potter. Officially Draco Malfoy, you are now bound to Harry Potter by a life debt, and you and your House are his by right of conquest.” She smiled her number two evil grin, and holding up her wand set the bond in place.
The flash of magic settled over the pair, and Draco pulled a sour face. “This isn’t over Potter.” He spun on his heels and flounced off into the castle. Harry handed Hermione the empty paintball gun. “You are brilliant Hermione, thank you.” he smiled with warmth at her. She smiled back, “You might be worth keeping Potter? you might just be worth keeping.”
The Weasel turned up at this point, and started blethering on to Harry about ‘Quidditch’ she tuned them out and set off towards the first lesson. Potions. She smiled to herself, Snape was already taken. He had the mark of a Demon that had claimed his soul. If he got out of order with her, she might just introduce them a few years early. Arriving a little early to her lesson, she was disappointed to see Harry had not arrived as the door was opened by the aptly nicknamed, ‘Dungeon Bat’ and she walked in and sat at the front, near the centre. Harry bustled in at the end with the Weasel and with only two slots left, he sat alongside her.
Snape crashed back into the room from his study and made a completely pretentious speech about bottling fame and brewing fortune, or some such drivel. He then directed a series of questions at Harry. “Our New Celebrity” he called him. Hermione slipped the answers into Harry’s mind and watched in glee as the Bat became more annoyed. “You are cheating, ten points from Gryffindor.” He glowered at the rest, “Why aren’t you writing this down?” The rest of the lesson was a joke. Nothing was taught, nothing was demonstrated, no assistance was offered. Hermione was irked and her ire had it’s first target.
At dinner that night, whilst Harry was eating his Shepherd’s Pie, she casually sent a delayed engorgio charm on one of the peas on Snape’s fork. It became the size of an apple in his throat, a subtle version of petrificous and he could not signal for help. She met his eyes with a smirk as he slowly choked to death, “Say Hello to my father, when you get there, Severus.” She released his hold and he slumped over into his food, quite dead. The pea, returning to it’s previous size.
She rued her slight miscalculation, Snape’s demise caused the meal to end, she missed her dessert course. That would not do. Pudding was sacred.
It took a week before the Castle was settled, and a new Potions Professor was employed. Andromeda Tonks was a revelation. Professor Vector became head of Slytherin, Hermione noticed that little Malfoy was subdued. The same could not sadly be said about Ronald Weasley. On the day of Halloween, he had a strop in their charms lesson about her and as the Weasel badmouthed her to Harry, the latter boy said nothing in her defence. She became very angry, and in order to calm down and not set fire to the pair of them as they walked, she took herself off and found a deserted toilet block where she could talk to someone she trusted.
Her mother was busy, but her Grandma Charlotte answered the call, and they sat talking for some time. After a lot of talking, the result was. Give Harry a little time to figure things out, he is; 1. A boy, 2. Young, 3. Male, 4. Emotionally underdeveloped, and finally, 5. He is the weaker sex. Charlotte finally had Hermione laughing, and making jokes about ‘pathetic boys and their toys,’ when the troll entered the room.
“Oh, Hello.” Hermione said, “Are you lost?” the troll nodded and bashfully swung its club around, demolishing half the toilets by mistake. “Where are you from?” the troll stopped to think, after a few minutes, it replied, “My home.” Hermione smiled. ‘Almost as stupid as an eleven year old boy’, she thought. “Come with me, I can get you back to your home,” she set off towards the door only for it to burst open and Harry Potter to rush in. “Hermionethereisatrollinthecastle. You need….to…..get…away…..from….here….and…….That’s the troll.” His voice trailed off as he pulled her behind him.
‘Oh how sweet, he came to rescue me, Grams was right, he worked it out. Perhaps there is hope for him.’ She took his hand, “It’s called ‘Urrkk’ and she is lost. I was going to take her back to the Forbidden Forest and see if the Centaurs knew where she was from.” Harry, to his credit, took this in his stride, “Is that safe?” She smiled her best evil smile, “Harry, I am the most dangerous thing in this Castle, you will be safe with me.” Holding Harry’s hand she led him out to the corridor and called back in Trollish, “Come on Urrkk, home before sunrise.” As they ran along the corridor holding hands, the walls and floors reverberated with the impact of the fourteen foot troll jogging along behind them.
They made it almost to the front doors, before McGonagall and Hagrid appeared out of the Great Hall, “Nothing to see here,” Hermione called and with a wave both staff members shrugged and returned to the Great Hall. Fifteen minutes later, Firenze was convinced he needed to guide the Troll back to its home and parents, the pair walked back to the castle. “Thank you for thinking to save me Harry. I shall save you in return for your efforts, I do have one demand to make though.” Harry looked a bit puzzled. “Save me?” his eyebrows furrowed, “From who?” They stopped and she took his face in her hands and entered his mind. A few seconds later she released him, and placing a finger on his scar sent the contents to her father.
“What do you want of me Hermione?” he asked in a subdued voice. She smiled, kissed him on the cheek, “When you are older, we shall marry, you shall be my consort and we shall raise our family and be together for eternity.” He grinned, “Family?” she squeezed his hand, “Yes Harry, family, and love. For all time.” Harry nodded, “So I just have to say yes?” Hermione threw her head back and laughed, almost cackling, “No Harry, that is your reward, your task is to ditch the Weasel that is dragging you back, and work hard, gain knowledge. Become the best you can be, become worthy of a Princess of the Seven Circles.” His face was a picture, “You are a Princess?” She smiled and kissed his other cheek, “I am, I will tell you everything in due time, but for now, you must trust me.” Harry nodded. “Good, lets go get something to eat. I will put a sort of avoiding charm on you regards the Weasel, he is a poor influence, and if I have to watch him eat again, I will rip his tongue out and make him a neck tie with it.” Harry laughed, and Hermione smiled, ‘he thinks I am joking.’
As they approached the Castle Doors, Hermione’s Grandmother met them, “Hello my Darling,” she said, gathering her into a hug, “and you, young Mister Potter, caring for my family. Well done. I checked the Castle’s wards, and it appears the Headmaster has some silly scheme about using a blood stone as bait for a dark Wizard. I can’t allow that around my favourite granddaughter, so I thought it best to warn you. The feast is just starting up again, I suggest you run inside and join everyone.” She kissed them both on the forehead in turn and left in a blaze of golden light and heavenly choral music.
“Errm, Hermione. Who is your Grandmother?” he asked as they pushed open the doors and entered the Great Hall to find everyone back in their seats, except for the Headmaster, and the Defence against the Dark Arts Professors who were missing. “My Gram, she is HIS wife.” Harry sort of sensed the capitals. “HIS wife?” she nodded, “That’s right. The ALMIGHTY, the Creator, he has many names, and many faces. Technically he is my Grandfather, but I have never met him. My dad says he is a bit full of himself. Uncle Azrael says he is magnificent, and Aunty Gabrielle does nothing but sing his praises, but that’s kind of her job.”
Harry helped Hermione sit before climbing over the bench and joining her, some distance from Ron, he noted. He put some of the Poultrygeist meat on his plate and some vegetables, as he poured a little gravy over his carrots, he said in a conspiratorial manner. “You are God Almighty’s Granddaughter.” His brow furrowed, “When I was at school we were taught witches worshipped the devil.” She giggled, “I don’t worship him, he is my father, that would make me a complete daddy’s girl. I get on better with my mum and Gram, to be truthful.” She bumped his shoulder. “You OK?”
He finished chewing, “My best friend is the Devil’s Daughter.” He shrugged, “What could possibly go wrong?”
Yule break found Harry climbing into a carriage with Hermione, and his new best mate Neville. They were catching the Express back to London, where Harry and Hermione would be staying with his Godfather in the refurbished London townhouse at Grimmauld Place. Peter Pettigrew had been delivered to Amelia Bones in person by Mazakeen the morning after Halloween. Madame Bones was in the castle investigating the death of Professor Quirrell, whose body had been found in the third floor corridor. That had led to the discovery of the traps and puzzles on the third floor, and Albus Dumbledore had been suspended from his position as Headmaster, his other roles would be gone by the New Year. Sirius Black had been released from Azkaban on the second of November and his recovery was nothing less than ‘miraculous’ they said.
Hermione simply shrugged off any hint of involvement, saying, “I invited him to my father’s place, to stay over.” Ronald Weasley had barely spoken to either of them since Halloween and was eating at the opposite end of the table from them, life was good.
During the Winter Wizengamot session, Lucius Malfoy appeared in the Minister’s office, to ‘suggest’ some ways things might be improved, and make a campaign contribution. They shared a drink, and unknown to either of them a dose of veritaserum. Madame Bones casually entered the office, leaving her two most trusted Aurors outside, but within earshot. “Here to deliver this month’s bribes, Lucius?” He smiled a condescending smile, “I am Madame Bones, and a larger one than normal.” “Oh, what have you asked Cornelius to do this time?” Malfoy preened, “He is going to cut the DMLE budget by twenty-five percent.” Amelia smiled, “That’s nice, to help your fellow Death Eaters evade justice I assume?” Malfoy nodded, a little concern showing in his face, “Of course, there is money to be made without interference from the little people.”
Amelia figured she might get one or two more questions in, “Tell me again, how do you earn a Dark Mark?” Lucius replied, “You have to torture and kill an innocent magical. In my case it was a twelve year old girl, she screamed so much she lost her voice before she finally died, of course, Bellatrix wasn’t impressed, but the Dark Lord thought it showed me favourably.” Cornelius was staring wide eyed, Amelia tried one last question, “You knew all along, I assume Cornelius, but preferred to take the gold?” “Of course Amelia, why should pure bloods be held accountable to the same standards as lesser families.”
“Absolutely Cornelius…… GO.” She stated loudly, “the reason is the law, and I am arresting you both,” the red flashes of the stunners fired over her shoulders by Moody and Shacklebolt dropped the pair where they sat. “Put them in secure holding, I am authorising their interrogation under veritaserum, I am enacting the emergency protocols, for the next seventy two hours, I am in charge. I can hand it back over to the Wizengamot at the next meeting, and hopefully arrest a few more Death Eaters.
As she walked out of the Minister’s Office suite, she noticed one of the other Aurors escorting the Undersecretary out in suppression cuffs. “We got a tip off Ma’am, she has been blackmailing a few of the senior Ministry Officials.” Amelia nodded at the man, “good. Is Dawlish in custody, I don’t want any silly rescue attempts.” “He is Ma’am, holding cell four.” A wicked smile crossed her face, as she entered the corridor, at the end a dark haired, coffee coloured woman in tight leather trousers and waistcoat nodded at the Head of the DMLE. “Thank you Miss Mazakeen, once more we appear to owe you our gratitude.”
Mazakeen’s face opened into a wide smile showing her perfect teeth, “My pleasure, Madame Bones. I shall be back in the New Year, once it is open season on the Death Eaters, I can enjoy myself.” With that statement she turned and walked away.
At the Wizengamot after Yule, Dumbledore was removed in a vote of no confidence, and Madame Bones, stepped into the centre. She took over proceedings and had Lucius repeat his statements for the ‘Gamot once more, under the influence of veritaserum. He was sentenced to death. She declared the Death Eaters an illegal organisation, and under the anti-terrorism laws suspended the right of a pure-blood to refuse veritaserum when questioned.
After some uproar, and a few arrests being made by the Aurors disillusioned within the room, the session restarted with Augusta Longbottom in the chair. Amelia’s emergency protocols were extended for one month. Knowing how it was earned, the wearer of a Dark Mark, was now to be interrogated for all useful intelligence, and then sent through the veil. All their holdings would be forfeit to the Ministry, to fund the education and upringing of the many orphans they had created.
In the Visitors’ gallery Mazakeen smiled and twirled one of her blades around her finger.
At Grimmauld Place, Christmas had been a huge success, and Hermione was sat sideways in a small sofa reading whilst Harry was playing with some of his presents on the rug in front of the fire. It was the first time Harry had ever received any presents and there had been quite a few tears at first. A few Hermi-hugs had been awarded and Harry was in a much happier place.
Sirius entered the room, fresh from the ‘gamot meeting, “Good afternoon kids. Are we all happy?” he asked in a chirpy voice. “I am thank you Uncle Sirius.” Hermione replied with the honorific she knew made the man happy. “How was the meeting?”
“Well, funny you should mention that actually.” He replied, “It was quite surprising. Lucius Malfoy got himself arrested and sentenced to the veil, for murdering a muggleborn girl and about forty others. Minister Fudge and his Undersecretary are under arrest pending trial, and being a marked Death Eater is now a mandatory trip through the veil. Being a supporter will get you twenty years in Azkaban, I think the veil is kinder to be honest. Also the marked Death Eaters in Azkaban were fed to the Dementors up there last week. Amy Bones is not messing about.”
“Have we met her?” Hermione asked. “No, I don’t think you have. I saw her briefly after I was released, but she is very driven and works hard.” Hermione nodded and returned to her book.
The weeks flew by and in no time they were on the Express travelling back to Hogwarts. After a few hours of peaceful solitude, their compartment door was dragged open by Malfoy and his bookends, for their traditional taunting session. Malfoy stood, his usual sneer not quite as convincing as the previous term. Hermione looked up from her book, “What do you want Malfoy? Come to beg for sanctuary? Now ‘your Father’ has been executed for mass murder?”
“I would never lower myself to beg anything from you, Mudblood.” He retorted. His goons grinned a little. She stood and made a show of stretching, “Well, perhaps we can teach your pets to beg.” Her wand flashed out and transformed both Crabbe and Goyle into toy poodles. “SIT.” She said in a very clear voice, both dogs sat and whined. “I think I could have them begging before we got to Hogwarts.” She stared Malfoy down. “Stop bothering us Malfoy, you will not survive a fight if you start one.” Draco pulled a sour face and stomped off along the corridor. Harry started to laugh, “That was epic Hermione, can you teach us all to do that?” She looked at him, “eventually, it is just transfiguration.”
Albus Dumbledore lost his position on the Wizengamot, and the ICW, but through his connections managed to cling on as Headmaster. Hermione was unimpressed, she decided that perhaps if a few more children from the old houses passed away, he might find himself out of work.
Harry had been given a cloak over the yule break, after it had been retrieved from a certain Weasley, who had ‘borrowed’ it. She recognised the magic, Death was one of her Aunts, and one of her favourites. With a little help from her family, she cleaned the various tracking charms and tags placed on the cloak by Albus Dumbledore. “I can teach you to become invisible without the cloak, if you like?” she told him one morning over breakfast. “That cloak is really old, older than this castle and you should look after it.” Harry blinked a few times, “Really?” he chewed for a moment. “What do you know about it?” Hermione pulled a copy of Beadle the Bard’s book from her bag, “Read the tale of the three brothers, that is the cloak, the Headmaster has the wand, the stone is lost.” Harry nodded and slipped the book into his bag for later.
As they walked along a corridor towards their transfiguration lesson, one they shared with Ravenclaw, the pair of them were confronted by Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber, otherwise known as Gregory and Vincent. Neither had their wands out, and were holding beater’s bats. Slapping their palms with the bats in what they assumed was a threatening manner. “Think you are really clever, mudblood?” Goyle sneered. The disarming spells fired from behind took Hermione’s and Harry’s wands before they had them fully drawn, and Harry was hit by both stunners fired by Malfoy and his pet, Parkinson.
“Well, almost worthy of being in Slytherin.” She commented. “Sadly for you four, I don’t need a wand.” She smiled, her number one evil grin. Malfoy’s hair gel promptly ignited and as he screamed and ran around in a panic, Pansy Parkinson caught fire as well. Crabbe and Goyle were busy beating one another senseless. No they had passed that stage, their animated corpses were mincing one another’s skulls. With a wandless summon, Hermione grabbed both wands and taking hold of Harry’s arm, translocated the pair of them to the next corridor, where she enervated Harry and handed him his wand back. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.” She pulled Harry along as they ran to class.
It took a few days for the gossip mill to process the deaths of four Slytherin pupils, the sight of Aurors in some of the castle’s corridors became almost normal. Still Dumbledore persisted. He was like a particularly stubborn spot she considered. She would have to step up her efforts to rid the mortal plane of his meddling.
Harry was writing his charms essay, during History of Magic. He rightly, to be fair, said the ghost simply read the text. Hermione, however did not come from a life where ‘fair’ was a consideration. She sat and pondered that people were paying good gold, and they were certainly not getting the value out of this particular lesson. Around the room almost no-one was paying Binns any attention, so when Hermione sent a note off to her Aunt Persephone, she was pleased to see her appear in the room after less then an hour. “Cuthbert. You are seriously overdue, now I think it is time you came with me.” Taking his hand in hers Death departed the room with the ghost. It took almost five minutes for any of the pupils to notice.
The week before the Easter break, Hermione and Harry were walking along a second floor corridor, on their way to dinner, when three of the Slytherin girls from their year stepped into the corridor ahead of them. Hermione was, for once, caught by surprise, these girls had never shown any inclination to attack. She readied a defence. The girl in the centre of the group dropped onto one of her knees, followed quickly by the others. “My Lady, we are honoured that you pass amongst us. We, acolytes of Lucifer, pledge our allegiance to you and your cause. Command us as you will, my Queen.” The girl stayed on her knee, head bowed, waiting.
“Oh, Hello Daphne.” Hermione remarked. How is the Slytherin common room now, after I cleaned house a little?” Daphne Greengrass lifted her head. “It is much improved, your Dark Majesty. We would pay tribute, is there anything you desire of us?” Hermione pulled a bit of a face, and looked at Harry, “Anything you need Harry?” He looked slightly blank, and shook his head. ‘A couple of years time you will have a few thoughts as to what three girls can offer, I have no doubt.’ Daphne, Tracey, Millicent, please stand. I have no need of anything at present, but I shall remember your offer, and if I think of anything within your abilities that I can use to assist us, I shall be in touch. I trust you have not revealed either your membership of the coven, nor my presence to the school authorities? they can be tiresome.”
Daphne bobbed a curtsey, “No your Dark Majesty, once we realised who you were, and why Malfoy had been immolated, we swore with our blood to preserve your secrets. We exist to serve, My Lady.” Hermione smiled at the three in turn, “Well, that’s nice, just wait until my father hears about this, he will be most pleased. Shall we go get some dinner?” She stifled a slight grin at mocking Malfoy’s favourite whine.
As they headed out of the castle to catch the coaches to the station for the Easter Holidays, they were joined at the door by Hermione’s acolytes from the Slytherin dorm, Professor McGonagall looked on with some confusion as Harry Potter and the muggleborn Hermione Granger were escorted from the school by three members of the traditionally rival House.
“Aah Minerva,” Dumbledore’s quiet voice sounded from behind her, “I fear Harry is being pulled to the dark, we must take precautions to ensure he does not become evil.” Minerva looked at him from the corner of her eye, “and that is something you would know all about, isn’t it, Headmaster?” Albus looked at his Deputy with a puzzled frown as she walked inside and the carriages left for the station.
Once settled in at Grimmauld Place, Hermione was delighted when the grumpy tea-bag coloured House elf presented her with a locket. It wasn’t particularly well made, but it did have a rather deliciously evil miasma emanating from it. She smiled at the elf and pulled the soul out of hiding and sent it off to her father. She was quite surprised to see him in the house the following day bearing gifts. “Are you studying Greek, Father?” she enquired. “No my darling daughter, I was so delighted by the soul you sent me, I just had to come to this plane to collect the rest, he really is one of the foulest specimens of humanity I have ever encountered, he will be so much fun.”
“There are more pieces?” she replied, “How is that possible?” Lucifer smiled at his daughter, and her friend, Death’s Champion. “Well, the silly little man split his soul, and has stored them in various places. Since I have most of it, I asked him where he had stored them, I wondered if the pair of you fancied a bit of a trip to collect them?” Hermione bounced a little on her feet, “ooh, an adventure? Where are they?” she was excited.
“One is in your school, I thought you pair might collect it for me, another is at the Malfoy Manor, and since the male Malfoys are all with me now, we can collect that one simply enough. One is in Bellatrix Lestrange’s possession, I need to make the Dementors relinquish her soul so that I can ask her where it is. They shouldn’t really be on this plane anyway, so I will send them home. The last one is in his mother’s family home. A rather mean hovel in the North of England, fancy a trip?” he smiled his slightly maniacal smile and looked from one of the kids to the other.
“Where are you taking them?” Sirius asked as he entered the room, “On a Horcrux hunt, it should be lots of fun for them.” Sirius stopped in his tracks, “Horcrux, what complete idiot made one of those?” Lucifer smiled even more, “Your friend Riddle. Lord Voldymort as he called himself. Pretentious eh?” he clasped his hands and looking around the room, “He made six so far, I have three of the seven pieces of his soul, I want to collect the rest this afternoon, if that’s OK with everyone.”
Sirius looked at Harry, then Hermione, then Lucifer, then Hermione. “This is your father Hermione. I thought he was a muggle tooth healer.” Hermione shook her head and grinned, “No, that is what I told the School Authorities, may I introduce, Lucifer Morningstar, Fallen Angel, Ruler of Hell, otherwise known as the Devil. My Dad.” She shrugged, “Muggle kids believe Dentist’s torture people, so it was an easy fit for a cover story.” Sirius stood open mouthed, and grinned. “Well, bugger me.” Lucifer shrugged, “Not my particular preference Mister Black, but Mazekeen will probably give it the old college try if you ask her, as long as it inflicts pain, she is usually up for anything.”
“Where is Maz? I haven’t seen her since Yule.” Hermione pouted. “She is rounding up Death Eaters, she drops their heads and arms off in the Ministry every Monday. She is really enjoying herself.” Lucifer laughed. “So, who is up for a trip to Little Hangleton?” he beamed at the two kids. “Do we need anything special?” Harry asked, “No.” Lucifer pondered, “Just thought it might be a chance to spend a little time with my favourite she devil.”
Fifteen minutes later the four of them were standing outside of the shack that had once been home to the Gaunt family as it burned fiercely in the morning sunshine, Lucifer stood examining the ring that had been hidden within it and after tugging the soul piece from where it was skulking within gave the ring a rub on his waistcoat and handed it to Harry. “This is yours, it has the resurrection stone in it, and as you are a descendant of the Peverells, it belongs to you.” Harry took the ring gingerly, “Is this the resurrection stone?” Lucifer made a ‘so-so’ hand gesture, “that is what Death told you ancestors, but she lies. It is more likely designed to send the user mad. If you want to talk with your parents, or any other ancestors, do the ritual on Samhain, Hermione can guide you.” Hermione leaned over his shoulder and looked at the ring, “We should pick up the wand and make the set when we get back to school.”
Lucifer laughed, “Brilliant idea, darling. Now, I need to visit Malfoy Manor and talk to the widow, can you help us Mr Black?” Sirius nodded slowly, “Please call me Sirius, and I can do better than that, the Widow is a member of my family, so I can simply tell her to fetch it over to Grimmauld. I can swap Kreacher for a more useful elf, he loves Narcissa, and I hate him.”
As they sat around the table back at Grimmauld, Sirius dispatched Kreacher to Narcissa with a note explaining what he required. She appeared in the Drawing Room half an hour later, and handed the diary over. “You are most welcome to that abomination, dear cousin. It reeks of foul magic, I am glad to be rid of it.” She declared when she arrived. Accompanying her, and standing behind her, peering around her robes, was a small elf. Lucifer took the diary, and with a gesture sent it down to his domain, “Madame Malfoy,” he smiled at her and stared into her cool visage, “What is your heart’s desire, what do you yearn for?” Narcissa blinked, “A daughter. I want to have a daughter to raise as a fine lady, from an upstanding House. I want to be a Black once more, and a mother again.”
“Well Sirius, you can help with one part of that, can’t you.” Lucifer grinned, “You can reinstate her into your House. Young Harry isn’t old enough to do the other part, and Chloe would dismember me if I offered,” he turned back to Narcissa, “Is there a particular candidate you would consider for the father?” Narcissa exhaled slowly, “No-one in particular, my Lord, I would like a decent man, one with intelligence and integrity, someone I could converse with about adult things, and who was not going to invite a dark warlock to live at our house and tell us what to do in our home.”
“Well, that sounds reasonable enough, I am sure we can find you a fine upstanding Wizard, to do what is required,” he smiled with some mirth. Sirius stood and took her hands in his, “I should prefer you to take Kreacher as your personal elf from now on, I think it would be for the best.” Narcissa nodded, “agreed, you likewise can take Dobby, he is a little independent for my tastes and his interpretation of his orders is not always to my satisfaction.”
Good that is settled then, I shall arrange things with the bank, to allow you your stipend from the Black family, will you stay at the Manor?” She snorted lightly, “No, you are welcome to the festering pile, I shall take myself to the riviera and live a little.” She smiled without warmth, “Kreacher, take us to the Manor, we are packing for na extended tour of Italy.” A few seconds later she was gone and a bedraggled looking elf stood looking around nervously. Hermione looked at the creature. “You are called Dobby?” He nodded enthusiastically, “Yes Mistress. She regarded him, “You must swear on your life to guard the secrets of your new House and to defend it's members with your life if required.” Dobby nodded, “It would be Dobby’s greatest wish to serve the Great Harry Potter and his Miss. Mistress.” Hermione snorted, “I think you will find, he is mine, rather than me being his.” She stated acidly. Dobby nodded, “As you wish Mistress.”
“Good. Please wear a uniform, worthy of our station. You look like a vagabond.” She glared at Dobby. The elf reached a hand out and held Harry’s for a moment before with a snap of his fingers was dressed in a scarlet Matador’s ensemble with a black shirt and hat, his large bare feet spoiling the look slightly. “Better.” She declared. Looking at her father, “What next?”
“How about a school trip after lunch, then I can pop over to that nasty place in the sea and collect the Dementors, before dinner?” Lucifer declared. Dobby popped out of the room and minutes later the table was set and a nice salad appeared in the serving bowls in the centre. Following the meal Hermione and Lucifer translocated Sirius and Harry directly to the seventh floor of the School and Dobby appeared a moment later and with a finger snap opened the door to the ‘Come-an-go-Room’ Hermione wandered in and looked around. “Harry, we shall spend a few hours here, there is fun to be had. Holding a hand up, it took a few moments for the diadem to fly into her hand, she passed it over to her father.
He dragged the soul fragment out, as before, and handed the tiara back to Hermione. “Some nice enchanting on that, very nice.” As they were talking the Headmaster strode around the corner and drew his wand. Before he could speak it Lucifer disarmed him and it flew from his hand, Harry caught it before it poked his eye out. A great fountain of gold and red sparks erupted from its tip. Hermione giggled, “It’s very happy to be with you Harry.” He looked a little puzzled. Albus took in a breath to admonish the interlopers, but Lucifer spoke first. “Albus Dumbledore, what is your hearts desire, what is your greatest wish?”
“Albus stared blankly for a few moments, “I want to be greater than Merlin, I want to be remembered for all time, I want Binky.” Lucifer’s eyes furrowed, “Binky?” Albus smiled, “One of Aberforth’s goats, such a cute thing. Such soft fur.” Lucifer nodded, “What about Harry?” Albus shrugged, “Oh, he has to die, he has a Horcrux in that scar, I need to keep him around until Tom Riddle turns up and then he has to die so I can defeat the Dark Lord, I am quite vexed that he isn’t being abused by his family any more, he is altogether too independent now. I shall have to arrange his muggle friend’s death so he is more pliable.”
“Good, I am glad that is cleared up.” Lucifer’s smile held no warmth, behind Albus a pair of Demons swirled into being, “Mephisto, Bee, take Albus and find him a room please, he has finished here.” Albus was dragged backwards down into the floor and a faint scream was heard fading into the distance. Harry was standing looking at the wand in his hand, “What about this?” Hermione answered, “That is yours by birthright, you now hold the Hallows, I imagine Aunty will be along to see you later.”
“Aunty?” Hermione nodded, “Persephone, she likes to be called, or Death. She is lovely, she is one of my favourites.” Harry nodded slowly and looked back at the wand that thrummed in his hand. “Cool.” Lucifer rubbed his hands and clapped them together, “Right, I shall nip off to that prison Island, no need to drag you all along, why don’t you nip back to the town house and I will see you there before I go home.” With a nod the group popped out of existence and the corridor was once more silent.
In her office Minerva sat up with a start, the School Wards had just shifted to her. Albus was no longer Headmaster. She rose and strode off to the Head’s office to find out what had occurred.
A few hours later, they were sat being annihilated at Monopoly by Hermione when the floo opened and Lucifer stepped in and handed a small cup to her. “That’s the lot sorted. He passed out three scrolls, I spoke with the head of the bank, and he has sorted accounts for the youngsters, and placed the contents of the Lestrange, and Malfoy vaults in them, I assume I can trust you to act as Regent until they are of age and marry?” He smiled at Sirius, who nodded and took the proffered scroll. “Some investment tips, Tech companies will be very big in the non-magical world, it will be a sound investment.”
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The year slipped by at school, Harry played Quidditch, Hermione ruled the ladies. The rest of the first year passed without any more deaths in the Castle and they happily boarded the express to London for their summer.
During the sorting ceremony at the beginning of their second year, Hermione sensed a fae presence and made sure the Hat knew to place her under Hermione’s protection. Luna Lovegood was sent to Gryffindor, Ronald Weasley complained that Looney would send them all around the bend as she was ‘mental’. Hermione regarded him coolly and placed him on her to-do list. Luna joined her coven at the end of that night.
In their third year Ronald Weasley was eaten by Acrumantulae in a terrible accident during a care of magical creatures. In order to ensure pupil safety, Harry brought the Basilisk up from the Chamber of Secrets to help clear the forest, and ‘Sir Hiss’ as he was named by a muggleborn became a popular sight around the forest edges.
By their third year the Death Eater cult was a distant memory, they had all been killed, and the magical community found that those who espoused the blood purity mythos were suffering from various fatal ailments, it soon became known that the only way to protect the lives of future children, was to diversify the family gene pool. It became the ‘done thing’ to marry muggleborn or half bloods if you were from an old family. To the shock and horror of some of the old Patriarchs and Matriarchs in these families, once wedded into the family, these interlopers had more control over the family magics than their spouses families and magic began once more to bloom. At long last the birth rates increased.
Delores Umbridge was tragically killed after her release from her spell in prison. She was inadvertently rounded up with a group of escaped porkers on their way to the slaughter house, she was pulled out of the system prior to becoming suasages, but had already been ‘put down’ humanely. The Ministry investigation concluded someone had confounded Delores to believe she was a sow, and the workers in the unit had not noticed until her carcass had been lifted up by her ankles.
Cornelius Fudge likewise fell victim to a random floo address malfunction. He stepped out of the floo just as the goblin builders demolished the building he appeared in. Only his battered bowler hat was ever discovered. Arthur Weasley had been elected as his replacement, sadly his wife Molly, had contracted a magical version of laryngitis and lost the ability to speak above a whisper. St Mungo’s was unable to make the cure work.
The TriWizard Tournament visited the school in their fourth year, and was won by the Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory. During the first challenge Krum’s dragon escaped and somehow managed to kill two judges, successfully eating Ludo Bagman. Barty Crouch died of his injuries. Hermione took Harry to the Ball, rebuffing the unwelcome attention of the tournament ‘star’ Krum. Neville accompanied Daphne and another acolyte was inducted into Hermione’s entourage. Ginny Weasley accompanied Fleur Delacor, introduced by Hermione. In February, the Lake challenge was amended to be an above ground timed challenge through a series of magical traps and obstacles.
The final race to the finish had the challengers running in a maze, with the spectators in high stands looking down into the paths, it finished on the winners rostrum, and Cedric finished mere feet ahead of Fleur Delacour. Someone had spelled Viktor’s boots to be size 25 and bright red. They let out a ‘honk’ whenever the left foot touched the floor.
Harry and Hermione were picked as prefects in their fifth year, and Hermione’s acolytes attended Harry whenever he bathed in the prefects bathroom, to his initial consternation, and then his growing pleasure as he discovered how deeply kinky his girlfriend was. The demi-fae witch became a particularly close member of their entourage, Luna was rarely seen away from the couple.
Harry took up his position as Head of House, on his sixteenth birthday. As he was therefore emancipated, he married Hermione. She allowed him to believe he married her, rather than it being the other way around. They moved into private quarters within the Castle for their NEWT studies and soon after the coven joined them.
Harry and Hermione graduated as Head Girl and Boy, in the Summer of ’98 and set off on a gap decade holiday around the globe, with their acolytes and elves.
Narcissa met an Italian Mage, and had three children, two girls and a boy. The Contessa DeMarco as she became known, sent her children to Beauxbatons and never set foot in England ever again. Sirius welcomed the Tonks back into the family. Their daughter married the eldest Weasley son, bringing some respect and a little wealth to the Weasley family. The youngest Weasley daughter was a successful Quidditch professional and married a lovely French Veela, they had two daughters via a surrogate donor and lived happily in France. Both girls had remarkably vivid green eyes.