The rest of the summer spent in Potter manor wasn't as eventful as I hoped. Harry couldn't open up the connection between himself and Voldemort long enough to give him a message.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying," Harry sighed, his head falling into his hands.

I patted the top of his raven haired head, standing from my chair, "It's fine, Harry, really. You'll just go to Hog- ah!" I nearly toppled over at the pain. I'll never get used to the pain of being called.

I quickly took off my ring and handed it to him, transfiguring my robes already and running from the room, "Tell Sirius!" I shouted over my shoulder. I sprinted down the hall until I came to my bedroom, where I grabbed my mask and apparated in about four seconds flat.

I was getting faster at this.

"Severus, you are sure?"

"Yes, my Lord," Severus was nodding when I entered the dining room of Black Manor.

"Very well. Severus, I will appoint you Headmaster," I felt my blood run cold. They were taking over Hogwarts? "Alecto, Amycus, you will go as well. Be in charge of punishment. Get rid of that Muggle Studies."

"Yes, my Lord," my brother and I murmured.

"Dolohov, you will teach the Dark Arts."

"Of course, my Lord."

I was just trying not to panic. Of course, the Order knew it was a possibility, but to actually... to take Hogwarts was giving him an entirely new advantage. "Very well. I expect those given this task to be in Hogwarts by the end of the summer. Do not be late. Also, the next time you are summoned, arrive in St. Ottery Catchpole. I have a little surprise for our guests."

We nodded, some people laughing, and were dismissed. I glanced at the pale and shaking Draco once, giving him a short nod, before apparating to Potter Manor.

"What did he want?"

The Order seemed to have gathered in my absence. Well, the Order that was residing in Potter Manor currently.

"They're attacking the wedding," I said quietly. The next time we are summoned, we are to apparate to St. Ottery Catchpole..."

"But-" Molly gasped.

I nodded, shaking my head in disappointment, "But the wedding can't have any influential guests for the war. Harry cannot go, Hermione, Ron. It's too dangerous. I can't go, neither can those that are supposed to be dead."

Molly nodded once, "Very well. I think that would be best as well."

"The others... they won't be going to Hogwarts this year either," I told them. "Ginny must, we can't make it seem suspicious, but the others..."

"They're infiltrating Hogwarts?" Sirius cried.

"Severus is Headmaster, so we have someone on our side. I'm in charge of punishment... as is my brother."

"They wouldn't," Molly whispered.

I nodded, my hands shaking. I pressed them into my legs to stop that from becoming shown, "They are. Dolohov is coming as well. We're getting rid of Muggle studies."

"That much is obvious. What are we to do with the Trio?" Arthur asked.

"They'll stay here," James said firmly. "It's safest."

"I agree," Lily nodded.

"Very well. Harry, Ron, and Hermione will stay here," Molly nodded. "With James, Lily, Sirius, Frank, and Alice."

"They won't like it," Alice sighed.

"They have to," I said quietly. "When news gets out of the Death Eaters taking over Hogwarts, they'll be hunted. Hunted so whoever captures them will want payment for their heads. The bounty for them is already astronomical."

"Then they don't return."

After attacking the wedding, and giving Fleur and Bill an apologetic look as I did patrols on the Burrow a few hours later – to make sure that Potter didn't come to the rescue. I knew he wouldn't, anyway.

They were released. And I was sent to duty at Hogwarts – ne'er to return to Sirius for the remainder of the year. That hurt the most.

Of all the torture I had endured, of all the pain and suffering I've put to others, it hurt to be away from Sirius.

But for the sake of the Order, I had to. For the sake of the war.

I'd have tea one random night a week with Severus and Minerva. It was there that we discussed what had to happen.

"Bring Potter here," Severus drawled. "The Dark Lord will come."

"But will he bring Nagini?"

"I have no doubt. He doesn't leave anywhere without her these days."

"He's becoming paranoid," I smirked. "Good."

Severus nodded, "The Dark Lord... he's always asking if the sword is safe."

I laughed, finding this hilarious. Minerva glanced at me in concern. "Of course he would. He just doesn't realize what's laying right in front of him."

"And Miss Granger," Severus got to the next point.

"I'll deal with that," I told him. "Just make sure I don't die before hand."

Severus snorted as he sipped from his tea, "Wouldn't want to have that happen."

"In return, I make sure you don't die."

"And Lily?"

"She won't be fighting," I told him. "I'm not telling any of them when the battle starts."

"Any?"

"Sirius will not arrive," I nodded. "No one will. It's just us."

"Do you know how many students-"

"We need something big. A distraction," I told him. "With Neville here, and knowing his parents are alive, you've seen how he's acted out more, become braver. It's just what we need. He rouses up the Dumbledore Army once more. We get support from the outside. They camp out in the Room of Requirement. We attack, luring Harry and the Dark Lord here."

"And the students?"

"Evacuated," I smirked. "Of course."

"When?"

I met Snape's eyes, "Will May do?"

"It will."

I streaked through the blazes of curses and hexes, finding Hermione Granger tucked under a rock as the curse just barely touched her skin.

"Get moving," I hissed, pulling her from the spot and down an abandon corridor.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Saving your life," I snapped back, ducking behind a coat of arms. "Ready?"

"For-?"

"Avada Kedavra," I whispered quietly as I shoved her forward ahead of me. She never saw it coming. And she fell. I removed my magical signature around her and transformed it into my brother's. It was easy magic.

I left the corridor as quickly as I had come.

There's one problem down. My next was surviving.

I pounded my feet against the stone as I heard the battle raging below me. One more step. I saw them. Harry and Voldemort, dueling for the last time. This battle determined everything.

When Harry had come back from the forest, I hoped it wasn't the end. I wasn't sure. And Neville's speech, it made me beam with pride.

The shield that he had described formed around the both of them. I held my breath, as did many others. This was it.

And then there was a boom.

And Voldemort fell.

Harry stood there for a moment, watching Voldemort's body. The only person he had ever killed. And he turned around, a smile on his face. And we won.

Just like that.

I cried more than I ever had in my life. Tears of joy. I hugged Harry to me and absolutely let it all go. I found Molly, sobbed with her over Fred. And then found Sirius, who had disobeyed my orders and come to the battle to fight. I kissed him for as long as I could. When I pulled away, his face was wet too.

We were alive. That's all that mattered now. We had each other.

"Let's have fifty kids," Sirius breathed.

I giggled, my forehead pressing against his chest, "Let's have two."

"Fourteen."

"Two," I repeated.

Sirius finally agreed on two and we just stood, in the middle of the hall, in each other's arms. All the insults that were being thrown at me. All the insults that were being thrown from Death Eaters. They were falling on deaf ears.

"I love you, Sirius."

"I love you," Sirius insisted.

Hermione Granger died May 2, 1998. Her murderer was Amycus Carrow, convicted to life in prison for just her death alone.

I was pardoned on all crimes against me. And people begged for my story when Lily and James, Frank and Alice, and Sirius revealed themselves. I never sold it. Not even when the Prophet offered me fifty million galleons. I did tell the Quibbler, though, "My secret shall die with me, for no one can go through the pain and the suffering I was forced to."

No one asked. No one discovered my spell. The only person I did tell was Dorcas. I told her it was fair game for the hair charms. She just laughed in my face and told me to keep the spell.

Harry Potter became Head of the Auror department immediately after training ended. After twenty years in combat, I was still getting used to calling my best friend my boss.

Fate works in funny ways.

I'm just glad Sirius is with me to help me through it all. I don't know what I'd do without him.

I'm so sorry for not updating in forever! Please, review!

Also, if you haven't read any of the last chapters recently, I've updated them all this weekend so that they all fit now!So, if this chapter was confusing the hell out of you, please, read the story over again, hahha