Epilogue

The war was over, finally. But at what cost? Witches and wizards everywhere rejoiced at the fallen Dark Lord, but it was subdued because they saw what it cost them. Their hero, the Boy-Who-Lived.

Everyone knew the story by now. Knew that his best friend, Ron, had died at the hands of Death Eaters. Knew that his other best friend, Hermione Granger, had betrayed him and gone to the other side. And because of one Ginny Weasley, sole witness to the tragedy, everyone knew it had been Hermione who had killed Harry Potter.

It was now almost six months to the day when the war ended. The wizarding world could breathe easy now. If not for the wanted posters hanging in every doorway, advertising the reward for one Draco Malfoy and one Hermione Granger. Since the Dark Lord's fall, these two were now the most wanted people in wizarding Britain.

There were cruel rumours going around of rogue Death Eaters still capturing and killing Mudbloods. But where could the rumours come from if they were all killed? They were being careful this time, planning it out. Taking people who had little or no family. After all, who would miss a loner?

Was it possible that the Death Eaters were still meeting? Coming together for a common cause and planning the eradication of muggles and Mudbloods alike?

In a city to the south of London, folklore had it that an ancient castle was haunted by the last duke to live there. He had gone crazy and hacked his family to pieces. The family dogs too. After that, he had killed himself.

People who were brave enough to take a tour of it would swear they could hear things moving around, and dying screams echoing throughout the halls and rooms. Nobody came there anymore. It was odd really; everyone who came to take a tour of the place now would suddenly remember urgent meetings that they were required to attend.

It was the perfect place to meet if you were a Death Eater. It was dark, spooky, and out of the way.

It was on this night, almost six months to the day when the war ended that there was a flurry of activity around the front doors. Figures in black cloaks were suddenly appearing out of thin air with a small "popping" sound.

Inside the doors was the front hall, made of dark gray stone. Remnants of paintings, information packets, and souvenirs littered the floor of the hall. No need to keep up the pretense of a haunted house tour when the real things would have put its old inhabitants to shame.

The figures in dark cloaks stepped past all this, ignoring it. At the end of the hall were two great wooden doors. It was in here that the silent figures gathered. Through the doors was a giant room, an old eating hall. It was completely empty of any furniture, but it didn't stop the room from filling up.

The Death Eaters were silent as they filled the room. They knew better than to talk amongst themselves, even though their new leader was not there yet. The example of the last man caught talking was still hanging from the wall at the front of the room.

The room was full. They waited five minutes, ten minutes. Even after waiting this long, they knew not to shuffle around. The old Dark Lord was almost a piece of cake to serve compared to this new tyrant.

A door at the front of the room swung open with a squeak and another robed figure walked through it and stood facing the crowd.

Drawing the hood back, the white-blonde hair of Draco Malfoy was revealed. At once, everyone in the room went to one knee. Draco only smirked at them. Now, finally, his time had come.

He spoke in a loud clear voice. "Gentlemen, you have done much to please me. In these past six months, we have managed to regroup and reassess. Purification is our top priority. But remaining undetected is even above that." Draco started to pace back and forth at the front of the room. "We have gone six long months with not one single arrest! Yet we still go out there and complete our work; purifying the wizarding world!"

Draco stopped his pacing, and stared out into the mass of black robes. "We must still be on the lookout for any remaining Order member. They are to be killed on sight." He smirked, nodding his head a little. "Unless you can safely and quickly subdue them long enough to bring back here for an evening of amusement." He added, almost as an afterthought.

Marching back to the center of the front of the room, Draco spoke with more command in his voice. "But I'm not the one you're to be making proud. It's your new leader."

He glanced to the door he had come out of and another robed figure walked through. Walking to stand next to Draco, they lowered the hood slowly. Brown curls came rushing out, and Hermione Granger was now in full view of everyone.

They room bowed again, only this time they went lower, brushing their foreheads against the floor in reverence. Only Draco remained on one knee, for he was her equal, and also her lover. But respect must be paid.

Hermione looked out at the crowd as they rose again to their feet. A new cruelness and hardness was now seen in her eyes from the six months of hiding out. She was ready to show the world what she could do now. But patience first. Like the old Muggle story she had read, "slow and steady wins the race".

She took a step forward, drawing away from Draco. She surveyed the room with cold eyes. She was not just a Mudblood to them (for she had killed everyone who had argued against it), but she was also the one who brought down Harry Potter. For them, that made up for it.

Hermione spoke in a low voice, yet everyone heard her. "Our plan will succeed. The wizarding world will be purified, just like our old master foresaw it." She took a step forward, raising her voice. "Tonight, the first phase of our plan will come into action."

Hermione stepped back next to Draco and pulled up her hood. "It begins now." She added with a flourish of her wand, causing the wooden doors to fly open. As one, the Death Eaters went out, Disapparating to begin their work.

Alone together, Hermione turned to Draco. He used her hood to pull her towards him so he could give her a kiss. She pulled back, flushed.

"How am I to keep up my image if you go around kissing me all the time?" She asked him before leaning on her toes to return the favour.

"I think you're scary enough as it is." Draco replied. "Now come on love, or we'll miss the show."

Hermione took his hand and started walking to the doors, through the hall, and out into the open night. The cold gleam was back in her eye; her image had nothing to fear.

"Let's do this." She said, taking Draco with her using Side Apparition; ready to join her Death Eaters in wreaking havoc on Britain.

THE END