Disclaimer:

I do not own the world and characters featured in this Harry Potter fanfiction, nor do I have permission to use them. Harry Potter, his story, and the settings and characters involved in it, are owned and trademarked by JK Rowling and the many licensors of her work. I do not make money through this story.

.:/*\:.

Hermione made her way into Uzugarg easily, the travel by cart causing her only mild discomfort. The young witch assumed she was getting used to it, which was a good thing considering she would probably be traveling this way often enough in the years to come. The Goblin city was busy today, with merchants shouting over each others as they attempted to outsell one another. Hermione let herself be distracted by the bolts of shimmering fabric and long pieces of tanned leather, the colors and smells of fruits and vegetables, the shimmering edges of many a blade. But she didn't let her steps falter or slow, crossing the market and making her way to Hagdar's workshop. Bjorker was waiting for her there. He nodded appreciatingly as he saw her approach in full armor. The two exchanged a warrior's handshake.

"Don't worry about anything, Imrae. The Clan is too happy to have an udur to let you fail at this test."

"But I don't want to just pass because I'm udur. I want to pass because I'm worthy," Hermione said.

"Well spoken, Imrae."

Hermione turned to see a Goblin wearing an armor of blue and gold leather, with a strange pattern of feather-crested snakes running along the edges.

"I am Saarkhai Stazishi."

Hermione caught the older Goblin's forearm in her hand and Stazishi grinned at her as he shook her arm.

"I believe I should put your mind at ease. The Test is to judge your strengths and capabilities. As a warrior, sure, but also as a member of our Clan. Given our histories, the goblin race feels it is essential to know just what each individual can offer not only their Clan, but our species in general."

Hermione nodded along, knowing that the wizarding world had quite a lot to answer for in this area. Stazishi returned her nod then motioned Bjorker. The younger Goblin waved once at Hermione and left.

"I have reviewed your progress as well as your views regarding this assessment. Do you still intend to blend your magic within your fighting style?"

"I think it'll be easiest for me, yes."

The Goblin nodded once then stood, clearing a space with a few harsh words and a wave of his clawed hand. He then gestured for Hermione to join him in the middle of the room. His katana slid from the sheath at his back and Hermione reflexively drew her own blade. The warrior opposite her smiled.

"Very good, Imrae. Now let's see if you know what to do with this piece of steel."

The attack came fast, a sweeping blow meant to take off the head of another Goblin. It slashed across Hermione's chest, the whistle of air somehow felt even beneath the leather armor she wore. Stazishi spun and followed through with an overhead strike aimed at her shoulder. Hermione raised her blade, parrying with a grunt. She stepped forward, knee rising. Stazishi jumped away from the would-be attack, a grin on his face.

"Very good. Use of every advantage. Your longer limbs give you a greater reach."

"But humans are naturally weaker than Goblins."

"And how would you counteract that?"

"Eventually, I hope to be proficient enough that either my speed, accuracy, or dual weapons will make up for my lack of strength."

"A sound plan," Stazishi agreed as he swung his katana into a reverse grip. "Considering that you are still young, it is good for you to keep your options open at this moment in time."

The warrior attacked and Hermione parried. The shock of steel brought a cry out of the witch and her left knee buckled under the pressure. Muscles burning and twitching, Hermione managed to bring her left foot back under her just enough to push off and roll away from her opponent's blade. But the Goblin followed, their weapons meeting again and again between them. Hermione's gasps for air became more frequent as the fight continued. Yet another evasion brought her to her knees in front of Stazishi. The Goblin swung his katana overhead and Hermione rolled to the side and managed to get both feet under her. She pushed forward and swung her weapon down. Steel met steel with a spark and Hermione gritted her teeth. Her arms shook as the strain of pushing back against Stazishi's blade grew. The witch could feel the sweat slicking down her face and her back. Fly-away wisps of her hair were now stuck to her forehead and cheeks. But there was no time to deal with that. The thought itself was nonsensical, and Hermione shook her head to regain her focus. The warrior jumped forward, the fist holding the katana flying for Hermione's head. The udur ducked, blade weaving between their bodies to rise once more. The witch brought her weapon down but the Goblin was ready, his blade arcing overhead and behind his back to stop the other edge of steel from cutting into his neck.

"Good form," the Goblin warrior.

Hermione offered him a grin even as her arms trembled as she tried to push through the warrior's guard. Stazishi stepped away but the witch was ready, disengaging before she could stumble forward and into whatever trap the Goblin had in mind for her. But Stazishi slowly stood and dropped his guard.

"I have seen enough at this moment in time."

Hermione nodded and lowered her guard in turn. The Goblin took a few steps to the side and let his blade rest upon one of the work benches. The witch followed suite, laying down her weapon and sheathing her wand before she looked down at the warrior before her.

"You have obviously attempted to train, more so than I would have expected. And before you say anything, I do not mean that as a slight against… your former species. But Hagdar mentioned that many events were taking place around you, not the least of these being two apprenticeships and a promise to an old and sacred place to keep."

Hermione blinked then shrugged. She wasn't sure why she'd been surprised: if Stazishi was supposed to get her up to speed in terms of training, he would have had to know what time she had to train.

"What would you say to switching speed for accuracy?"

"Do you believe I would not be able to keep up?"

"I believe that you could come to match the speed of the shadowmancers, yes. But I believe that this is not your true strength. As the arithmantic calculations you adore so much, you are a creature of precision, ordered and coldly logical. Instinct is useful to you, but only in those moments when using logic becomes illogical. Where your passion burns bright like the sun, it also runs cold as ice when necessary. You are ruthless as it becomes required, willing to kill your opponents though unwilling to risk those close to you. As such, your place amongst the shadowmancers is more than warranted."

Hermione swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat. It was one thing to have your combat form torn apart for your betterment; quite another to have your inner soul exposed by a few, carefully chosen words.

"What now?"

"I believe that we will continue on your current path. You will train to be a shadowmancer, with an emphasis on skill and accuracy. We will harness your Muggle heritage as well as your Goblin one. You will not require you to use the bow - though you should still train with one as it is one of our traditional weapon. Instead, I will secure for you the use of a rifle."

Hermione blinked. "You want me to use a gun?"

"Not just any gun," Stazishi smiled, "a sniper rifle. You will become our most accurate warrior, able to take out a target from over a mile away."

The Goblin witch swallowed at the darkness lurking on the edges of the Saarkhai's words. But she nodded her acquiescence anyway. The die had been cast and she was Goblin. It meant following her Clan to war if demanded by her leaders.

"I will make a few preparations."

"I should mention that I still study in Hogwarts. I doubt the Headmistress would be happy with me if I brought a gun in the school."

Stazishi chuckled. "Probably not. And with our current links with the school, I will not attempt to force the issue either. However, you will need to ask Hagdar for time to study this weapon when you come to Uzugarg."

Hermione nodded once again and Stazishi stood.

"It is nice to see an udur so willing to fit in. Many before you chose to accept only parts of their Goblin heritage. I believe that you could do very well with us, eventually."

With these parting words, Stazishi left the room. Hermione sat back in her own chair, wondering if she would ever be the same again. The Goblins would mould her into a warrior; an assassin even, if she understood Stazishi's intentions correctly. Would her newfound, extended family ever order her to attack her friends? The Goblins were not exactly on friendly terms with the wizarding populace. Each was just about tolerated by the other, found useful by some at best, and utterly distrusted by others. Though the last war against the Goblins had ended well over a century ago, the current Ministry of Magic was arrogant enough to start another one with just a few careless words.

"Feeling overwhelmed?"

Hermione looked up from her thoughts to see Hagdar standing before her. The Goblin witch frowned.

"Not quite sure what I'm feeling," Hermione muttered.

"Good. To change — to become a Goblin, in your case — should not be easy. It should be something that forces you to think. To examine your behaviors and those of others in order to realize which is the path that is truly yours."

"And if the path of the Goblin is not for me?"

"When you have fulfilled your obligations, I doubt we would force you to remain."

Hermione blinked then smirked. She might not be Slytherin, but she could read between the lines well enough. Hagdar believed Hermione would not even asked to leave the Clan. And to be fair, she doubted she ever would. After all, the Goblins had accepted her where the wizards had only ever tolerated her — as long as she was useful to them. With a nod to her Warding Master, Hermione started on her way back to Hogwarts.

.:/*\:.

As Hermione reached the school, she was rather shocked by the sight before her. The Castle stood tall and whole before her, fireworks sparking in the gleaming light of the Scottish afternoon sun. Even at the gates, and quite a way from the grounds proper, she could hear the echoes of laughter on the wind. The tall fence of wrought iron shuddered and groaned as it made way for her to step onto the Hogwarts grounds. As her foot crossed the invisible boundary line to step onto the territory under her protection, the rush of the wards made itself known to her, an avalanche of data crashing onto her consciousness and causing to stumble, her stride forward cut short and her balance impaired as her vision blurred and swam with several streams of colors she should not be able to see.

The ephemeral light show lasted only a few seconds then disappeared in the early autumnal air, leaving Hermione disoriented and blinking hard to disperse the black spots dancing across her vision. At the same time, she tried to sort through the knowledge that was even now settling across her mind: towers repaired; foundation stones in place but not all activated; the triad present and accounted for on the grounds; power steadily supplied through the ley lines, though two of the connections were strained by the influx of power that had been demanded in the attempt to defend the castle back in May and a third had been badly damaged in the backlash of the shield crashing down around them. Hermione cried out as the knowledge from the wards was processed through her mind. With the physical repairs over with, the wards had automatically started to divert power in an array designed to provide stability across the entirety of the grounds. Data parsed through her brain, giving Hermione the knowledge she had lacked until now: the sequence needed to launch the shut down and restart procedure for the wards; what arrays would be relaunched as a matter of priority and would need to be running stable before the second phase was attempted; how the ley lines would be tapped and the order they should be repaired in to provide the power they'd require it to attempt phase three; where to place each pillar link — read individual spell caster — to ensure an even distribution of power while taking advantage of the ward network as it stood; backup solutions already in place in case one of the foundation stones — or even all of them — couldn't take the strain of the reset; backlash output and how Hermione might be able to redirect the energies to provide additional support to any flagging pillar link…

"Granger?"

Hermione gasped and blinked, her brain still parsing through the data overload as she felt hands grabbing her shoulders.

"You don't look so good."

The Gryffindor witch shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it. A little voice in the back of her mind told her she was going to pass out. A louder one told the other to shut up, and Hermione braced her feet on the ground in an attempt to stop the world spinning so fast around her.

"Easy, Granger."

The young goblin-witch looked up at storm gray eyes frames by lightish eyelashes and white-blonde eyebrows. For his part, Draco Malfoy saw only a schoolmate who looked like she'd decided this afternoon was as good as any to keel over from fatigue right into his arms.

"Thanks."

Hermione's voice was thready at best, and the dryness and raw quality of her throat told her the new knowledge she had acquired from the wards had come at a price. She swiped at her lips with her tongue and Malfoy carefully rearranged her in his arms to access his wand. A simple flick conjured an empty glass and a wave filled it with water. Hermione gratefully drank, choosing not to even question the pureblood's actions. A muttered couple of words produced a Patronus that Malfoy sent charging off towards Hogwarts before Hermione could focus enough to guess at its form. It wasn't long before Professor Snape found them by the school gates. He was followed by Neville and Luna, the two students rushing ahead as soon as they caught sight of Hermione laying half on top of Draco Malfoy, of all people.

"You okay, 'Mione?" Neville asked as he dropped to his knees beside her.

Hermione licked at her lips once more and the Slytherin supporting her once again conjured up some water for her. Hermione slacked her thirst with a grateful nod to the Malfoy heir.

"I'm fine," the Goblin-witch finally said as she tried to push herself back into a sitting position.

But both Malfoy and Snape forced her back to lie down.

"What happened?" Professor Snape demanded even as he took out his wand and started to wave it across her body, casting diagnostic spells on her.

"I'm fine," Hermione repeated.

"Says the woman who is right now on the floor, with both magical and physical energies depleted," the Potion Master muttered.

"You would be too if you'd just fought your way into Goblin society," Hermione muttered back, knowing better than to mention anything about the wards. Snape — though not exactly against the fact she was helping out — was not quite as enthused as some of the other professors with her assignment to working the wards while there was so many other things going on in her life. The young Gryffindor knew it had nothing to do with doubting her abilities, but rather annoyance at both the facts that the Ministry were trying their hardest to assert some kind of power over the school and that he couldn't do much himself to stop them. He'd helped as much as he could, given his own recovery, and Hermione liked to think she had grown somewhat on the taciturn man.

"So you now are a fully fledged Goblin, aren't you?"

Hermione gave the dark wizard her most fearsome Goblin grin, lips pulled back and teeth bared. Snape only rolled his eyes. He then gave a hand to the young witch, pulling her to her feet. He next extended a hand to Draco, to help him back to his feet too.

"What happened?" And this time, Snape directed the question to his godson.

"I got your message to come back. Arrived shortly after Granger stepped onto the grounds, or so I guess. I saw her sway, like she was dizzy. She shouted, like she was in pain. Then she looked like she was going to drop so I caught her."

"That's it," Neville muttered as he approached, "you're going back to the Hospital Wing."

The Gryffindor wizard actually hoisted Hermione into his arms, carrying her bridal style much to the laughter of Luna and the concealed amusement of both Slytherins present. Hermione chuckled but let her friend take care of her if so was his wish. All through the walk back to the castle, the wards were still serving data packets of knowledge to their mistress, regular updates as to how the self-regenerating arrays were working to restore the arrays they had access to or control over, how the final physical reparations were affecting power distribution across the grounds, the ongoing revisions to the plans for the reset based on who would definitely be present and who might be convinced to join in…

The little group made their way straight through the revelers celebrating the end of the reparations. Luna skipped ahead of them to open the doors to the infirmary. And Neville finally deposited his friend into one of the empty beds.

"What happened?" Madam Pomphrey asked as she came bustling in.

"I'm fine," Hermione said for the third time, starting to feel like a broken record.

"Energy depletion, both magical and physical," Snape said in his cold, matter-of-fact voice.

Hermione huffed as Poppy Pomphrey waved her wand around to confirm the Potion Master's diagnosis.

"Care to explain, Miss Granger?"

Hermione crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as a sneer played about her lips, a move straight from the Handbook of Snape's Most Pissed Off Expressions. The fact was not missed by anyone present and the youngest in the room had to try hard not to laugh. To do so would probably not have been conducive to their continued good health given the Potion Master was present. Poppy was not so intimidated by the dark wizard and she let out a small chuckle. The older witch waved her wand once more and a couple of vials flew to her empty hand.

"Drink this. And explain."

Hermione shrugged and threw back the two vial of potion together, knowing that Pepper Up potion and Calming Draught didn't interact badly together. It might seem a strange combination to some, but it was a well-known fact in medical circle that Pepper Up was both fast acting and wasteful in the distribution of that burst of energy. Mixed with a dose of Calming Draught though, the Pepper Up would be released slower and boost her physical energies in a more even fashion. There was no way to recharge her magical reserves other than a long night sleep.

"Not much to explain, at the moment," the Gryffindor witch said after she'd swallowed. "I guess my test was a bit more challenging than I had expected."

Hermione caught Snape's glare but the others seem to accept her explanation.

"Don't let me catch you using magic before tomorrow morning, Miss Granger," Poppy warned her with a wag of her finger. "And remember that even slowed, the Pepper Up will leave you with only about five hours before you start to feel the effects of your physical depletion."

Hermione rolled her eye skyward but nodded. She'd need the rest before she could reset the wards anyway. She hopped off the bed and followed the others down to the Great Hall in search of a good meal to chase down her potions. She wasn't too surprised to find that everyone who'd taken even the smallest part in the repairs was present in the Great Hall. The house tables has been taken away in favor of several long tables laden with food. The banquet of sorts was already in full swing and Hermione was barely able to get a few slices of meat on her plate before she was accosted by the first of her well wishers. The rest of the afternoon degenerated in a long schmoozing session — a rather unpleasant one in Hermione's mind. Most people had heard by now that she was apprenticed to both Hogwarts and Gringotts. Her Goblin armor made the point that she was also now officially a Goblin rather clear. The Gryffindor witch could only smile and hope that Skeeter hadn't managed to sneak onto the grounds with her photographer or Hermione dreaded to think what tomorrow's headlines would have read. Eventually, Hermione managed to find a spot for herself in between the Headmistress and her Deputy Head. Snape's glaring sneer kept all but the most determined at bay, and Hermione was finally able to start on her food.

"I notice that the rest of the Golden Trio has not managed to make it here."

Hermione glanced sideways at the dark wizard beside her. "You know just as well as I that the Ministry has probably got them snowed under their Auror training. Even if they'd wanted to, they probably would not have been allowed out."

Snape huffed but said nothing more, his disdain for Harry and Ron plain on his face.

"Now that my NEWTs and my test are out of the way, when would be the best time to deal with the wards?" Hermione asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Certainly not now," Snape replied. "You will not be able to keep everything under control in your state."

Hermione bit her tongue, hard. She very dearly wished to tell the man that she was so tired because the wards had obviously deemed her ready. But she chose to keep her mouth shut. Not only was the role of the Dragon not well known, but things were bound to start going wrong if she started to brag about it. With a shrug of her shoulders, Hermione set about finishing her food. Silf showed up half an hour later, carrying a small package with her. Hermione smiled as she fed the falcon a large piece of sausage before she turned her attention onto the box. The Goblin-witch decided to start with the note attached to the package.

For our newest shadowmancer.

The note was unsigned, but Hermione could recognize her Goblin master's handwriting well enough. She opened the box with a smile and blinked. Inside, a long black gemstone glittered on red velvet. The stone was at least an inch long, and shaped like an elongated diamond. The longest half of the gem was tipped with a small silver ring.

"Ah, the black diamond of the shadowmancers… I am glad that you managed the feat, Miss Granger."

The young Gryffindor turned to her Charm Professor who took the stone from her fingers to inspect it.

"A flawless, natural, black diamond. Not necessarily as rare a find as the other colors, but we jealously guard the secret of the richest veins, where black diamonds of this size can be collected."

Flitwick then waved his hand a few times and the diamond floated upwards, the ring opened, and the pendant attached itself to Hermione's seldra. The young Goblin-witch shook her head a few time to accustom herself to the extra weight tugging at her ear lobe. But even as she did, she blinked and then yawned mightily. The gesture was caught by both Professor Snape and the school matron. Poppy only had to give her charge her most heated glare for Hermione to roll her eyes.

"I think I'm being send to bed."

Without a word, Snape snagged her plate and pointed in direction of the professors' side-entrance to the Great Hall.

"We will make your excuses," Professor Flitwick assured her, and with a laugh, Hermione went off to bed.

She made it to her rooms just as the last of the Pepper Up left her and she literally had to drag herself to her bed before she collapsed on top of it.

.:/*\:.

The ringing of the wards pulled Hermione from her sleep. The young witch yawned then rubbed her eyes, wondering what exactly had woken her up. But the data trickling into her brain had her jump out of bed and into her clothes before she raced all the way to the Headmistress's office. Hogwarts was on her side, making sure all the staircases were in the right position before she even came near. And Hermione found that the statue guarding the Head Office had leapt aside, waiting for her to pass before it went back to its normal position across the magical staircase. The young Gryffindor found her Head of House waiting for her.

"I'm told you need to speak with me?"

McGonagall looked downright amused, and Hermione realized that the wards had passed on only part of their knowledge to Headmistress. Not for the first time, the Goblin-witch was grateful for Hagdar's emphasis on physical training. Hermione took two great lungful of air then was able to speak through her panting.

"Umbridge's on her way up. She's with other wizards from the Ministry."

Hermione would have laughed at seeing the prim and proper Minerva McGonagall swear like a sailor if the situation had been different.

"We'll discuss just how you knew that later on, Miss Granger. For now, make sure you make yourself scarce. I'm sure you realize Dolores Umbridge harbor something of a grudge against you."

Hermione nodded. And that was before she'd become a Goblin. The younger Gryffindor wasn't too surprised either that her former Head of House had caught on to the fact that her protege had known about the visitors before the Head of the school. Hermione watched as her Headmistress fired off her Patronus to ask Professor to meet their unexpected guests in the Entrance Hall. For her part, the younger Gryffindor made her way down using the most circuitous of routes. The wards let her track the progress of Umbridge and even the precise moment Snape met with the newly arrived group. She followed their walk to the Head Office through the magical arrays that made up the wards. It wasn't too long before they got all settled in there.

But then the wards tingled against the edges of her consciousness and pulled her along to the Room of Requirements. Hermione blinked twice in quick succession as the hidden door appeared before she'd even paced once across it, and it opened of its own accord. Inside, Hermione found herself right behind the Headmistress's chair and facing a seated Umbridge. McGonagall and Snape were standing on either side of the chair before Snape pulled out the large chair slightly, inviting the Headmistress to take her seat. Hermione spared a quick glance at the other, seeing only four men she did not fully recognize — beyond the fact that she had most definitely met them last year as she and her two best friends staked out the Ministry of Magic; she'd certainly never learned their names.

"We came to see if Hogwarts is able to re-open next week," Umbridge delivered in her saccharine sweet voice.

"As you may have noticed, we have now completed the repairs to every part of Hogwarts. The ward are still being looked over, but obviously are functioning well enough to alert us to your visit."

Hermione enjoyed watching the smile upon Umbridge's face tighten. But the pink toad was not one to give up easily.

"My role as High Inquisitor is to make sure this school is functioning within the parameters set by the Ministry for Magic…"

The rest of the pink witch's tirade was lost to Hermione. She remembered well-enough just what the vindictive woman had gotten up to during her tenure at Hogwarts. Blood quills and interrogations under Veritaserum, not to mention the threat of using the Cruciatus curse against students… And she would have too, there was little doubt about it. Hermione shook her head and stepped away from the vision the Room of Requirements had provided for her. It faded from view until all that was left was one comfortable looking armchair by a fireplace. Hermione settled down in her seat to wait, and the Room provided her with a cup of tea in the meantime.

Hermione monitored the wards even as she sipped at her tea. Hermione would like to think that she had done a lot of growing up over her years at Hogwarts. Her parents and teachers had often commented that she was mature beyond her years to begin with, but Hermione realized that she was now just starting to see beyond the world of black and white her parents had once painted for her. All children preferred to believe that the line between good and evil was always well-defined, and that the hero would always come charging in to win the day and then go on to live happily ever after. Hermione had been taught better over the past few years. Sometimes — often, even — the line between light and dark blurred and the shadows in between were all that were left to guide you. Sometimes, your happily ever after would spell disaster for another. And at the end of it all, you were left to pick up the pieces of shattered lives to try and move forward… Then it became extremely annoying when those who had hidden away from the fight came to try and share the meager spoils of victory.

Well, enough was enough, in Hermione's mind. She was now a fully-fledged Goblin and the holder of seven NEWTs. Time to earn her keep. The young witch waited until the wards informed her that the delegation from the Ministry was now on their way back. She tracked their progress through the Castle, making sure that their way out of the door was as fast as their pace would allow. Hermione wondered idly if Umbridge believed the Castle was reacting to her so-called authority and was easing her passage. Knowing the toad, she might well… As soon as the group crossed the boundaries, Hermione sent a request for Professor Snape's position. The data that came back showed him still in the Head Office. The Gryffindor witch then fired off a Patronus.

"Go to Professor Snape. Tell him to rally the others, the Professors only will do. Get everyone in the Great Hall. We're reseting the wards right now. If Umbridge wants to mess with us, we'll show her just who she's dealing with. I'll be sending the plan to him as soon as I am in position."

The shimmering otter went on its way, disappearing through the wall. For her part, Hermione then left the Room of Requirement and walked through the Castle to her destination. It wasn't long until she found herself in the one, out-of-order girl bathroom in the whole castle.

"Sorry, Myrtle, but I need the space."

The ghost nodded and left without even a wail or a moan, obviously having been clued in somehow. The Goblin-witch wondered for a second if ghosts had access to wards too. Then with a shake of her head, Hermione turned to face the sink that was hiding the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. The little snake carved by the tap seemed to be looking at her expectantly. The young witch blinked then sighed before she pressed a soft touch along the S-shaped etching. The miniature serpent hissed in acknowledgment and slithered away. Hermione stepped back as the sink disappeared into the floor, leaving behind a long, dark tunnel descending into the bowels of the castle. The witch took a step forward and let herself fall forward. She felt the wards glide along her body, catching her into their embrace as she neared the end of the tunnel, finally setting her down to her feet at the end of the slide.

Welcome, Dragon.

Hermione swallowed against the lump in her throat. She squared her shoulders and started along the passage. She'd never been down here, but Harry and Ron had described to her the way to the Chamber of Secrets. Even without that second-hand knowledge, she'd have have no troubles finding it now. All of Hogwarts' secrets had been revealed to her by now. The long-dead remains of animals fallen prey to the basilisk littered the ground before her, illuminated by a greenish glow from further in the Chamber.

You embark on a difficult path.

Hermione blinked one, the slow movement of her eyelids in sharp contrast to the speed of her thoughts as she continued on her journey.

There are things you do not yet know. Things one cannot know until they have accepted their role as the ultimate protector of Hogwarts.

The body of the giant snake that had once made its home underneath Hogwarts lay in the middle of the Chamber's entrance hall. For a moment, Hermione wondered if Voldemort had ever suspected, ever considered, that they could be more to this place. Or had he, in his immense arrogance, decided that he had unlocked all of the castle's secrets when he discovered the Room of Requirements and the Chamber of Secrets? Or what he thought was the Chamber…

Will you step into the unknown, into the path of probable dangers? Embrace the certainty of death as it comes your way under many guise? Will you take up arms — sword and bow, magic and gun — in defense of those coming to these halls to learn their crafts? In defense of those willing to impart that knowledge?

"I have already made that choice," Hermione whispered into the coldish air surrounding her. "No turning back."

Not true, witch. You can choose to relinquish your hold onto the reins of power. You can allow the school to re-open then step away. Although the formalities were never followed as closely with others as they have been with you, some made the choice to protect the school but never to become the Dragon.

"I already am the Dragon. I have accepted this position."

But have you chosen it?

Hermione frowned as she slowed her steps, blinking in the dim, greenish glow around her, willing her sight to adapt quicker to the low light so she would see more of her surroundings.

You can remain the keeper of knowledge. Aware of the possibilities, but unable to reach for them. Or you can choose to use it, to be the wielder of the full power that comes with the title of Dragon of Hogwarts.

Hermione shook her head. "I couldn't live with myself."

But you would live. You would survive.

The Goblin witch shook her head again, this time hard enough that she felt the seldra moving in her hair. With a glare around, she continued on her way. Her steps took her to the entrance of the Chamber itself, the mouth of of the huge statue depicting Salazar Slytherin. The grinding of stone on stone echoed in the silence as the mouth moved, revealing the passage beyond. With a deep breath, Hermione moved forward.

The cave must have been a paradise for a basilisk. That thought circled through the Goblin-witch's head as she moved further into the bowels of Hogwarts and took stock of her surroundings: a pond stood to on the left side, teeming with life and a huge, seemingly long, and definitely dark tunnel sloped up on the right; to the back was a human-sized flight of stairs; phosphorous moss gave off a soft blueish light, making the pond water sparkle in the semi-darkness. Hermione took a long look at the tunnel, wondering if it lead up to the forest — and if it did, why had the Centaurs never said anything about the danger posed to their foals. But she turned away from it and face the stairs opposite her. With slight trepidation, she started for the first step.

The true seat of power within Hogwarts' walls. Where your life will end.

The whisper sounded within Hermione's soul — more of a statement than a warning — but she never faltered and she placed her foot upon the first step.

So mote it be.

"So mote it be," Hermione repeated out loud as she started up the steps.

The stair case spiraled upward for a while until it reached a small landing with a single wooden door. The panel opened on its own as Hermione stepped closer to reveal a near enough empty room. A large, throne-like chair stood in the middle of the room. It seemed to be made of a variety of materials: wood, metal, stone, gemstones… With as deep and calming a breath as Hermione could manage, she took her seat.

The warding data then came even faster to her. Before her eyes, the arrays controlling power distribution across the grounds shimmered into existence. Overlaying them was a map of Hogwarts. In no time at all, Hermione pinpointed the presences of the Professors, spread out across the grounds. Another two sets of data flickered into being, one showing the current foundation arrays and another showing the original network and how it tied into the ley line network below to draw power from it in short, controlled bursts. The backup power drawing array had caused the problem during the battle, Hermione realized. It was designed to sustain the wards should the school find itself under attack, by drawing power from the ley lines in a constant flow. The flow itself should have been funneled to the foundation and the emergency array networks. Only those had been tempered with over the centuries. A clever soul had decided that the main shield could be improved by modifying it so it would absorb power from the spells that hit it. This had created a feedback loop of sorts, that had caused a power surge when the spells had become too numerous. It was lucky that the failsafe had activated when it had, or the resulting explosion would have resulted in the total destruction of the school — along with everyone and everything within a good five miles radius.

You do realize that you have bypassed quite a few of the preparations.

Hermione blinked once more at the voice disrupting her thoughts.

"Would you butt out while I'm getting this thing ready?"

That sounded really mature.

The Gryffindor witch could not help but chuckle. Here she was, about to argue with Hogwarts itself as to whom might sound the most child out of the both of them.

The fact remain, you have not followed all the preparatory steps.

"I know that."

To reset the wards in this fashion will mean a great deal of pain for you.

"You mean, beyond the fact that my blood will have to replace the potion that should be spelling out the ward."

The sentient ward now chose not to reply and Hermione nodded. She then took another deep breath and once more summoned her Patronus.

"Go to Professor Snape. Tell him to give the others the go ahead."

Her otter disappeared through the high vaulted ceiling. It wasn't long until Hermione could see the Professors start on their work. Their spells layered over the wards creating anchor points for Hermione to use as visual cues during the casting. The young witch licked her lips and drew another long breath. Then she called for her wands, Quebracho and Walnut snapping to her hands.

"I am the Dragon of Hogwarts, chosen by the current Headmistress and approved by her Deputy. And as the protector of the school I invoke my right to reset the wards to their original states. My reasons are the many instances of tampering by a succession of Heads with various political agendas. The results culminating in the current damages wrought during a battle on the school grounds."

The pulse of magic that thrummed around Hermione was not unexpected. But it was also far greater than she had imagined. She shivered in the center of that beat as it grew in speed and intensity. The shimmer of the wards once more became visible to her, and she idly wondered if the others could see them too. Arrays of power shimmered in the air, collections of symbols that had long fallen in disuse during everyday spellcraft. With another steadying breath, the Goblin-witch switched Quebracho into her left hand and pressed the tip of it to her right index. A muttered spell sliced the skin open and rich colored blood pooled around the cut. Hermione set to work, tracing the symbols in midair, her blood adhering to the magic and shining bright with power. The beat increased with each rune she traced, and grew in force with each completed array, until it was but one vibration that shook the air and spoke of destruction and creation alike. As Hermione shakily drew the last rune, the thrum ceased. And she collapsed.

.:/*\:.

Author Note:

Yes, you can say it... I am evil for ending this chapter on a cliffhanger when it's the first update I give you in months and you know you might be in for another long, cold, and dry spell with no update. I will do my best not to leave it so long though. Hence, the cliffie really. I'm hoping it will get me writing :)

Once again, I should thank those of you who have taken the time to write me PMs asking me for an update. It worked. I just hope you guys find it was worth the wait!