Chapter Text
Senior Auror Harry Potter stood staring at the body in the kitchen. This was not his first murder case, but it would be the most high profile case he had ever worked. The body of Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt lay between the sink and the island of the kitchen in the official Ministry residence. His partner in the Auror squad for the last two years, Susan Bones, walked into the room, she had been upstairs to check. One look and a slight shake of the head told him that Shack’s wife was dead as well.
His body was twisted from his final death throes, foam and some vomit was visible around his mouth and a small bleed was visible from the corner of one of his eyes. They stood waiting for the magical forensic people to arrive, although it appeared to be a case of poisoning, accidental or murder, remained to be proven.
“Who was on his protection detail last night?” Harry asked.
Sue looked at him condescendingly, “Weasley and Finnigan.”
“Who the.” He stopped short of cursing, like Hermione, Susan didn’t use profanity. “How did they both get rostered onto the same detail, let alone Shack’s protection detail?” Unsaid was the well known fact that Ron was a terrible Auror, lazy and lax in his duties, he had numerous complaints against him, misuse of authority, excessive force, Ron liked killing and hurting people, he had been badly affected by the war, and it was common knowledge that if he wasn’t one of the so called ‘Golden Trio’. A Merlin holder, he would have been cashiered years ago. As it was he had not been promoted from the base rank of Auror in five years.
“Where are they?” He finally asked.
“St. Mungo’s. They were found unconscious; they will be questioned when the Healers allow it.”
“Jesus. What a nightmare.” He dragged his hand through his hair. His friendship with Ron had cooled since the end of the war. Hermione had left the battle on Ron’s arm, much to Harry’s disgust, and since Harry had not rekindled things with Ginny, things had become awkward. Harry was always polite and civil to Hermione. How could he not be, he loved her, he was just waiting for the day when she woke up and smelled the coffee. He knew it would probably never happen, but his attempts at dating were disasters, his heart belonged to another and the dates realised rapidly, and mostly, politely, declined a second date.
Harry had to discipline Ron, officially, more times than he cared to remember, and more and more he wanted to punch the smug faced moron in the face. The saving grace was that Hermione and Ron were not engaged. Hermione would not accept a magical wedding to Ron, she did not want to surrender control of her life choices to him. Luna had sat with Hermione and fully explained what marrying a pureblood from and old family like Ron’s, on the family land would entail to her magically.
With no family magic of her own to balance the equation, Ron’s word would be law, and her own magic would compel her to obey, any and every wish Ron voiced. To the fiercely independent Hermione Granger, this was way too far, she expected a meeting of equals. This did not compute to Ron, but somehow he held onto Hermione. Harry hadn’t visited the Burrow since Fred’s funeral, and other than a nod to Arthur in a corridor, had no dealings with any of them.
The Forensic team arrived, and Harry and Susan pulled the list of people that had entered the building according to the wards, and started making house calls. They had zero expectation of getting any results. The third property they visited, was paydirt. The front door was ajar, and when they entered, a body lay across the table in the kitchen, dead with the same signs as Shack. A confession on the table in front of the woman’s slumped form.
Susan scanned around the room, “This is a set up. This woman is a patsy for a professional hit. This whole place has been cleaned of magical residue.” Harry was looking at his scan results and nodding.
“Who would benefit from removing Shack?”
“The old guard.” Susan replied. “The ‘bloods, they haven’t gone away, they are regrouping. If this is the start of something, watch your back, Harry. And tell your girl to get out of Dodge.”
“My girl.”
“Hermione.”
“She is Ron’s girl.”
“Have her checked for potions then, how does that woman stay with that oaf?”
“She would hex me if I even suggested it.”
“I know, I see your heart break every time you see her. Why didn’t you make the first move, way back at school.”
“I was a dumb kid, too caught up in surviving, then I thought I was going to die, and I was to noble to ask her to love me and then die on her. When I realised I had a life, she was, and still is with Ron. The worst example of a friend it is possible to be. I want to sack him, but I fear for her safety if I do, he is a liability, his temper and anger issues fill my entire cabinet with complaints.” He shrugged.
“Maybe you should take one of those transfers to MaCUSA and start fresh, I know she is special to you, but you can’t continue to punish yourself forever, Harry.”
“Maybe.” He looked around the small kitchen, “This place has not been lived in, I bet our perp here, moved in very recently. This is very smelly. I don’t think we will get any support if we try to dig any deeper either. I hate to say this, but you have a daughter, and I am not sure we would survive if we pushed this one, all my senses are screaming at me about this.”
Sue looked at him, “We will look into all the evidence Harry, we owe it to Shack. Keep two sets of notes, if we are ordered off the case, we can keep one set back, maybe one day in the future we can bring the right people to task.”
He nodded and went outside the summons the forensic team to go over the property.
Harry and Susan were awarded commendations for the rapid resolution of the case, Susan was transferred to the security team at the Paris embassy and Harry was allocated a number of cold cases to review. He realised his desk was being moved into the carpark one day at a time.
The New Minister for Magic was Amos Diggory. He had once been one of Dumbledore’s acolytes, but following Cedric’s death had become bitter and held Harry responsible. He no longer supported any reforms, he believed the status quo, would have prevented his son’s death. From Harry’s perspective, things were heading in a familiar direction, and this time, no one was on his side. He was on his own again.
The new Assistant Head Auror was announced a month after Shack’s death, Harry had at one time been the obvious candidate. He was stunned, when Ronald Weasley was promoted from bare Auror to second in command. Harry immediately tendered his resignation. He would have to work two months notice. Harry made himself scarce and pulled the old Country Manor of the Black family out of stasis. It had been Arcturus’s home, Sirius’s grandfather. It was a fine house, parts of it dating back to the first Roman occupation of England.
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As Harry was using his experience to stay out of the bullpen, Ron decided that his life needed a lift.
Hermione worked in the main Ministry, she had been part of Shackelbolt’s team, helping him to prepare legislation, and doing the research and leg work for reforms. With Shack’s assassination, she was reassigned to magical creatures, she too realised she was being shown the door. Her blood status was once again an obstacle to her position, once more it seemed the old families had regained the upper hand. Hermione was wondering where this would lead, would Ron protect her?
Ron appeared at her flat two weeks after his promotion, even Hermione knew he had not earned it. He had been drinking, and he slapped a ring box on her table. “Herms, it’s time to tie the knot. We are getting married at the Burrow next weekend, you need a pureblood to protect you, and I am here for you.”
She regarded him coolly, he probably believed what he was saying. “I am not submitting to the marriage you and your mother want. I will not give up my freedom to choose, my right to decide, just because your mother wants me to get pregnant.”
“Herms, I am not asking you, I am done waiting. You are a muggleborn, you don’t have the choice anymore. I am claiming you. You are mine, like it should be.” He collapsed in a heap as her stunner hit him in the face.
“WINKY.” She called, hoping Harry’s elf would still answer her call.
“What does Mistress Herminny require?” the little elf asked from the corner of the room.
“Can you take me to Harry, I think I need his help.” The elf snapped her fingers and the contents of Hermione’s flat shrank and packed itself into a couple of boxes that popped out of existence, Winky held her hand out.
“Master Harry was worrying himself over your safety, come with me now.” Hermione took her hand and popped away.
She appeared in a large mundane styled kitchen, Winky popped away and a moment later a figure appeared in the doorway. “Are you hurt?” he asked
“No. not physically. He said he had claimed me, what is that?”
“Muggleborn registration has been reinstated. It’s back to the Umbridge days. Officially I have a couple of days left before I am off the books, but I have no intention of going anywhere near the ministry. I am not going to allow Ron to give me an order, I don’t trust him, I haven’t for years.”
“What went wrong between you two, you were so close.”
“He turned on me once too often Hermione, When he left us in the tent, it was the end for me. I stayed on friendly terms because we were in a war, but I never intended to maintain a friendship afterwards. I was shocked when you left with him.”
“I loved him.”
Harry nodded, “I saw, I couldn’t stay friends with you, not with you and him being together, he is weak willed. He will use any part of these laws to get anything he wants. He will potion you into submission if you go near him again, and no one will stop him. Are your parents in Australia? Perhaps you should join them, you will be safer out there. Britain is going dark again.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have made enquiries at MaCUSA, but they have shut the border to the UK, so maybe France first. I can hunker down here, the place is unplottable, and I doubt anyone alive has ever been here before.”
“Where are we?”
“It’s the Country estate of the Black family, it was Arcturus’s place.” He walked into the kitchen and pulled a wine bottle, “Winky has put you in the guest suite, you are welcome to stay as long as you want, but if you want to leave, I will obliviate the location from your memories.”
“Harry?”
“Sorry, you have been with Ronald Weasley for years, he is one of the people behind Shack’s assassination, the pureblood cadre that has slipped back into power. I don’t know if I can trust you anymore. I don’t really know you anymore Hermione. Once upon a time, you were the single most important person in my life, and you just walked away.”
“I was trying to make a go of it with Ron?”
“Why. He treats you like shit.”
“He does not.”
“Then why are you here, why does Winky tell me Ronald is laying in your flat stunned.”
“He…. I.” she huffed, “It’s complicated.”
“If I allow you to stay, will I be safe?”
“What?”
“Will I be safe. They will come after me, I know too much. They obliviated Susan. Thanks to old moldy pants, I am pretty much immune to mind magics, so they will arrange an accident for me. I choose to live, this time Britain can go screw itself.” He poured a glass out of the bottle. “Are you in need of sanctuary, or are you a trojan horse.”
“Harry, I would never betray you? After everything we went through? How can you think that?”
“Because Ronald Weasley abandoned the pair of us, left us to cope, and then after sleeping in my arms for what felt like months, you went off with him. I came back from the afterlife for you. You were my reason to live. You were the reason Voldemort could not kill me. And you walked off with the betrayer. You broke my heart.”
“You broke mine first. You were going to die, I was going to die at your side and you rejected me.” Her voice betraying her hurt. “When you turned up alive I was angry, so I went with Ronald to hurt you like you had hurt me. Pathetic isn’t it. That’s why I stayed away. Shame. How could I explain that I am with a man I can barely stand anymore because I am too proud to admit I messed up.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you sorry for.”
“I should have told you I loved you, and that I wanted you to live, If you had come with me they would have tortured you, it would have broken me, I needed to know you would live, it gave me the strength to walk to my death.”
“Harry you prat.”
“Sorry.”
“Stop apologising, we would have been together for all eternity. Britain wasn’t worth saving.”
“I know that now, but I wasn’t fighting for Britain, I was fighting for you.”
“Well I am sorry Harry, but those feelings I had for you faded away a long time ago. I don’t know if I even know how to love anymore. I have been faking it for so long, I don’t know what’s real anymore. I am your friend Harry, but I don’t think we will ever be any more than that now. We missed our boat I think.”
“I have so many regrets.”
“It’s a bit late now.”
“I know, The broomstick, the Ball, most of fifth year, that potions book. I loved you back then, I just couldn’t bring myself to say it outloud, I was convinced you would laugh at me.”
“I loved you from the Troll, I only went with Viktor, because I asked you if you wanted to take me, and you ignored me.”
“When, I was trying to pluck up courage to ask you?”
“In the common room, we were talking about you learning to dance, I offered to teach you, and I asked if you wanted to take me. You didn’t answer. I lost my nerve and didn’t ask again.”
“Oh God, I never heard you, I would have jumped at the chance.”
“Well, all water under the bridge. Do you want me to swear an oath of loyalty or something?”
“Look me in the eye and tell me you will not bring the bloods here, your word is enough.”
She looked into his eyes, they were dimmed by the years, once she would have gone weak at the knees looking into his eyes, now she found pain and regret, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good. I also give you my word that I am a fugitive from the purebloods myself, and I shall never betray my friend Harry Potter to them.” She smirked, “is that Ok?”
He nodded, and wrapped her in a hug, “Welcome home.” She stood stiffly not returning the unexpected hug, Harry stepped back and with a shrug walked out of the room.
“Well, that was awkward,” she muttered to herself. “How the hell did we mess our lives up so badly.” She softly called Winky and the little elf showed her to her room. Later laid in bed trying to sleep her mind started to go over the things they had said to each other in anger and frustration, her mind churned over and over. ‘Harry loved me, he probably still does deep down. I loved him for years, but I was always paired off with Ron, and I fell for him. Did I settle? I did love Ron once, funny, goofy Ron, my relief valve. I hurt Harry, too deeply. My anger was fleeting, but when he ignored us, Ron and myself, I became bitter. Did he deserve that. I don’t want anybody, let alone Harry, not just now. Maybe in a while when I know my own mind again. Maybe Australia is a good idea, maybe I should drag Harry with me, see if anything is there anymore. Will he come with me. I want to be his friend again, I don’t know about anything more, I want to make up my own mind. I don’t want to hurt him again. I owe him a hug. She finally drifted off to sleep.
In the morning she climbed out of bed, and seeing Winky had put all her clothes into the wardrobes and drawers in the dressing room of her suite, she picked up an old top with a faint smile. I hope he understands that I am reaching out, I don’t want to fight anymore. She left the suite, and headed down to the kitchen, she could smell fresh coffee, she knew Harry drank tea, so it was for her. Hermione hoped he wasn’t still angry. Entering the room, she saw him sat at the table. “Hey, did you sleep?” He asked standing to fetch her a mug of coffee, “I hope this is how you like your coffee, I wanted to try and start again, I am sorry about last night.”
She walked over and wrapped him into a hug, “I am sorry too, I want to be friends again. It’s too soon for anything else, with anyone, but I want to be your friend again, I missed you Harry James.” She felt tears forming in her eyes, his arms enfolded her, and he squeezed her gently.
“I would like that too. I miss my Hermi-hugs.”
She giggled a little, “Hermi-hugs?”
“They kept me going every summer at Durskaban, waiting for September and my first hug.”
“I wish you had talked to me back then, my parents would have given you a home in an eyeblink. They liked you, much more than Ron. They were quite blunt to me about their disapproval for Ron. ‘Why don’t you marry the nice one?’ my mum once asked me.”
“Sorry. I had five years of therapy, I am still a mess. Child abuse and PTSD. I was too ashamed to admit my home life to anyone, I was convinced I was not worthy of you or anyone. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Albus Dumbledore and his schemes created the situation, even when I begged him not to send me back, he said it was necessary. He needed me to walk to my death to clear the horcrux in my scar, if I had any self worth it might not work. He was thinking like a military commander, a chess master, and I was a sacrificial pawn, part of the grand plan, he forgot I was also a little boy. He pushed you and Ron together, the prefect badges, Molly always sitting you together, and my broody temper took care of the rest.”
“I could hate Dumbledore, his ideas dragged the whole war on years longer than necessary, and it’s just as bad now.”
“Today’s prophet has announced the reinstatement of the registration. It also names you as being wanted for assault on Assistant Head Auror Ronald Weasley. Apparently he was quite badly beaten by the time they got him to St. Mungo’s and revived him. I suspect Sue took advantage of the opportunity to get a few licks in. He has tried to get her to be his mistress, he told her if she slept with him, she would keep her job. He tried to blackmail Susan Bones, he is a dead man walking.” Harry gave a feral grin
“Does she need a bolt hole?”
“Bones manor is a fortress, after her Aunt was killed, Sue spent a fortune with Gringotts on wards. It has escape methods the DMLE can do nothing about, as do we.” Harry released the hug, and handed her the mug, he pulled out a chair. “My Quidditch top, not Ron’s?”
“I wanted to show where my loyalties lay.” She shrugged a little. “I want us to be friends again. Maybe one day, if it works out, more?”
Harry nodded, “I would like that. Are you hungry?”
“I am Hank Marvin.” She grinned.
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The next few months slipped by in a blur, Harry visited Gringotts a couple of times on ‘family’ business, but other than that he barely left the Manor. It sat in spacious grounds in the North Yorkshire Dales, a short hop from the old city of York, Eboracum, in the Roman era. Summer was turning to Autumn and longer nights crept up on them. They had settled into a comfortable routine, Harry was working on restoring the Manor to it’s former glory, and Hermione had settled into the Library, now a combined archive of the Black and Potter libraries.
They spent their evenings initially talking, but Harry had managed to get a TV to work in one of the parlours and they often chilled out on the sofa watching old movies or TV shows. Increasingly Hermione found herself laid across Harry, his hands stroking her hair on autopilot, and she had to admit to herself, she was growing closer to her old friend. They discussed slipping out of Britain, to France and from there boarding a jet to Australia, avoiding the English winter and letting Hermione catch up with her parents once again.
“What do you want to do for your birthday?” He asked her one morning over the breakfast table.
“I would love to go to the theatre, but I don’t want to risk our lives for the sake of a night out. When we get to Australia you can take me to the Opera House in Sydney. I have always wanted to visit there.”
Harry nodded, “We should do something to celebrate?”
“We didn’t do much for yours?”
“I got my friend back, that was enough for this year.”
“Naaaah. Too soppy by half,” she threw a cushion at him. “Cook me a nice meal. I love it when you cook for me.”
“OK, that’s a deal. I can do something special, is Italian still your favourite?”
“It is, surprise me, Chef Potter. Make me something divine.” He laughed.
“Ok, I shall try my humble best, Miss Granger.” She smiled at him. She wanted him to be happy, but she didn’t think it would ever work between them, but they were company for each other for now.
Harry slipped out of the Manor over to nearby York, to a branch of one of the more upmarket stores, to pick up some cooking ingredients he wanted, squid ink, proper pasta flour, and some nice wine, things Winky couldn’t get from the shops she used.
He was wearing a mild disguise, a hat over his hair and scar, and a pair of Ray-Bans he donned once outside, he walked over to return the trolley to the bay then he walked over to the area he was planning to use to apparate away, a voice shouted, “Potter!” stay where you are. We know you are harbouring Granger. You are under Arrest.” He knew that voice, Ronald Weasley.
He turned, dropping his right arm so his wand would be easy to catch if needed, “Really, Ron. You are arresting me? On what evidence?”
Ron cleared the corner of the building, he had a few of the other Aurors in tow, Harry felt his mouth dry, this was not going to end well. He trusted Hermione had not betrayed him she didn’t know which shop he was headed to, someone had seen him in the store and recognised him. He reached out with his magic, anti-apparition wards and anti portkey.
They had gone to a lot of trouble, Ron was obviously desperate to get hold of Hermione. Given the man’s anger issues, that would only end one way, and he wasn’t about to hand over the one person still in England that he cared for.
He threw up a shield, flicked his wand and hurled a Fiat 500 at the Aurors behind Ron, he fired a stunner at Ron, calling for Winky to grab him and leave. He never saw the killing curse that hit his back. Winky popped him away as he toppled and they arrived in the Manor kitchen in front of Hermione. An elf beside herself with pain as her bond was severed and her Master died, and Harry Potter’s lifeless body falling to the floor at her feet.
Hermione stood motionless for an instant and an eternity. The cup in her hand crashed to the floor and she grabbed Harry rolling him over. His lifeless eyes met hers and she sobbed, she had lost her brother, she loved Harry, she knew that, but the romance had not developed, and now it never would. She collapsed on his chest and screamed in pain and grief.
They buried Harry in the Black family plot, promising to move him to Godric’s Hollow when they could. Hermione accepted Winky’s bond, the elf was dying by the day, and she knew it was the only way. Just before Halloween Winky and she crossed into France and she flew to Australia. Her mother was devastated as she told her the story.
Hermione sent an international messenger bird to Luna, she felt she should tell her in person. Two days later Luna appeared in Australia, the two women held each other and cried. “I never understood why you and Harry never got together, I realised after he took me to that party, that you meant more to him than anything, I loved him, but he only had eyes for you Hermione.”
“I know, at least I know now. Back then I thought he wanted Cho, or Ginny or maybe Katie. I didn’t realise, we missed our chance, I wish I could tell my younger self to just grab the daft boy and kiss him after the flight on Buckbeak. That’s when we should have started, I was so in love with him that day, I would have married him if he had asked me.”
“What happened.”
“Well, nothing, it, just faded away. You can’t keep loving someone if they don’t love you back. I know I was wrong, but I was a teenage girl. Harry never showed anything, he had his reasons, and Ron, I could read like a book. I went for the one I knew wanted me. He wanted something that is not me, and never would be, but I tried to make it work. I tried for too long, and I should have left him years ago, but I am stubborn and proud. I did not want to admit I made a mistake.
“You can go back, if you are willing to pay the price?” Luna said quietly.
“Time travel, I need to go back fourteen or fifteen years Luna, not a few hours. I thought it was impossible to change what you knew had happened.”
“It’s not impossible, it’s against the laws of Great Britain. You are in Australia. They don’t have time travel laws, they don’t care.”
“Why, you could change everyone’s lives.” Hermione asked.
“It doesn’t work like that, you create an alternate time stream, another version of the reality. This one carries on, but in the other reality you can reset your life, well you could tell younger you how to reset it. Your own timeline is fixed.”
“Do you know how?”
“I know where to look.”
Hermione fixed her with a look, Luna smiled, “You need to search in the Potter library, for the Peverell Grimoire. Harry left you everything, I believe?”
“Almost. I am Regent for Teddy’s estate, the Black legacy, until he comes of age. Harry banned me from handing it over to Andromeda in his will. He still bears her a grudge for not rescuing either him or Sirius, and he doesn’t entirely trust her. It’s moot to me, I can’t give her control, Gringotts would ignore the instruction and force purging potions on me. Teddy comes of age in two years, so it doesn’t matter. He did make me Lady Potter. Somehow he married me post-mortem.” She threw her hands up.
“I don’t know what magic he did, but after he was ambushed and killed, I became Hermione Potter, Head of House, and Regent Black. If I can slip back in time, and give the younger versions the confidence to tell each other how they feel, perhaps their lives will be better. Do you think it is worth it?”
Luna stared at Hermione for a long time, “I do. I think that fate was denied in this world. I think she would want you to set the course of your lives on their proper path. Harry was doomed from the day you met him. Potter men only ever fall in love once in their lives, my mother wrote about it in her journals. She had a crush on Harry’s dad, but realised it would only ever be Lily. I read that a week after I went to the party with Harry. I understood why he didn’t even try to kiss me.” Luna fidgeted a little in her seat, “My mum reckoned that the Potter family magic picks up on a witch that is the best match to the man, and locks the poor boys in on them like a hungry shark. Sadly Harry’s life meant he had no idea how to act.”
“You said there was a price to pay?”
“It requires a sacrifice, it requires a life to power the ritual.”
“I would need to kill someone? I don’t think I could?”
“Not even Ronald?”
“No, not even Ron.”
“What about Harry’s killer?”
“Who was it?”
“Lucius Malfoy.”
“You are sure?”
“He collected the reward money for bringing down the ‘rogue auror’ Harry Potter. The Ministry tried to confiscate the Potter and Black vaults, my father published the story in the Quibbler.”
“I could probably kill Malfoy, is his magic powerful enough? He isn’t exactly a great wizard.”
“You would have to do the calculations, I can help you find the correct plane to jump across to. I might come with you, there is nothing for me here. My father is too bent up with guilt for betraying you, and I owe Draco, for all the times he amused himself with me.”
“Luna? You never said he.”
“No. I don’t talk about it. I like to pretend it happened to a girl I know called Luna, not me, she told me the story.” Her eyes glistened. Hermione understood and once more enveloped the woman in her arms.
“Sorry Luna, we didn’t know what we were doing.”
“It wasn’t your fault, you were all lied to.” Luns set her face again, “We can make it right for the younger versions. Ensure he never rises again, get you and Harry to at least try, if it fails maybe I can have him.” She smiled an impish smile, “or maybe Neville?”
“You like Neville?”
“I did, when we were younger, he was never mean to me either. He is a lovely man.” She shrugged, “It doesn’t matter, I will find happiness, if I can avoid Malfoy Manor.”
“Then we need to slip back into Britain and hunt the Malfoys. I assume that as a pure blood, you can come and go freely?”
“I can. My mother was a Malfoy1, I can walk right into their home.”
“I never knew that?”
“She was disowned, for marrying my father, but grandfather Abraxus didn’t do it fully, he did it in word, but not in magic. He still wanted heirs. Kill off the Malfoys, and I get the vaults, that would make them roll over in Hades.”
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Luna entered England via a registered Portkey, Hermione used the Eurostar service from Paris, to St. Pancras, and walked across the road to Kings Cross where she boarded a train to York. She apparated from the onboard toilet once the train stopped direct to the manor. Winky collected Luna later the same day.
It took a small drop of Hermione’s blood to open the Peverell Grimoire, and it took the pair a couple of weeks to translate the rune based script of the Grimoire to detail the ritual, to travel back in time.
It took Hermione and Luna almost a year to understand, and complete the arithmancy, Luna found the alternate reality in which conditions were ideal for their purposes, and helped Hermione check the calculations.
They Chose Samhain as the best night to complete the ritual, this had the advantage that the Malfoys would be entertaining guests at a masked ball, held at Malfoy Manor, as part of their ongoing mission to get the Malfoy’s elevated to the Wizengamot. The other members liked the Malfoy money, but were not so keen on the people. This did not stop them turning up for free food and drink.
Dressed in black leggings, long sleeved roll necked jumpers under dragon skin armour vests, the two ladies pinned their hair back and had Winky transport them to the outer wards at Malfoy Manor. Luna walked to the ward and gently probed it. She nodded to Hermione and disillusioning herself apparated into the garden, landing in amongst some shrubs, she watched as one of the wizards relieved himself over the Malfoys flower bed, glad she had landed a few feet further back.
She stole around the perimeter of the group, until she saw the white hair of their prey. An elf popped into view in front of her. It was Nobby, brother to her departed friend Dobby. The elf felt the old bond, and the family magic and paused. “I am here to take your bad masters away, I am here to avenge Dobby.” She whispered. The elf stood eyes wide and smiled, he disappeared without a sound.
Luna looked at the group, “Winky. Show time.” The elf, and Hermione appeared alongside her, hidden under Winky’s elf invisibility, Luna and Hermione pulled out the portkeys they had made, and step apparated in front of the two Malfoys. “Time to pay the debt.” Luna said as she hit Draco with the loop of rope and disappeared, as Lucius turned to see who it was he felt the tug of a portkey on his navel.
As soon as they arrived in the Black manor Winky stunned both Malfoys. They levitated the now limp bodies out to the Temple, where the full moon hung low in the sky. Vanishing the clothes on their intended sacrifices, they set about carving the required runes into their bodies, using the very knife that had given Hermione her scar, and ended Dobby’s life. It took ten minutes each, and Luna happily stunned them repeatedly, even if they didn’t need it. “Easy Luna, don’t kill them before we are ready.” She laughed. I can’t believe how relaxed I feel about ending these two, Harry’s killer, and Luna’s rapist. “I am done, that is the runes sorted,” they placed the sacrifices on the altar stone, she had stopped thinking of them as people. She and Luna held hands and together they cast the cutting spells to open the jugulars of the Malfoys, the bodies kicked for a few seconds as their life blood jetted over the temple floor, filling to grooves around the circumference.
Together they chanted to Old English words to the rite, and watched as the Malfoy magic was drawn to the circle, bathed in white light the three figures disappeared from the world.