Hermione sat in a chair directly in front of the headmaster's desk, the one she had to remind herself no longer belonged to the man she had once trusted above all others. She reminded herself that he, like so many others, like her own best friend, was gone. She tried to ignore the bright lights that were coming from the window to her right. She pushed down the guilt that threatened to smother her when she remembered that she should be down there with the others continuing the fight, but she couldn't, not anymore. She knew now that her fight wasn't here, not in this time. Looking up into the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore she took in a deep shaky breath. He stared at her knowingly from where he sat in his portrait behind the headmaster's chair.

"Do you know why I'm here, Sir?" she asked him.

He held his steepled hands under his chin and nodded.

"I believe I do. Some time ago, after I realized the extent of what Harry would have to do to bring an end to this war, I started on a Plan B," He said his blue eyes shining merrily as if this was any time to be merry.

Hermione sniffed offended by his ever jolly attitude. Of course, he had a Plan B, one he never shared with them, as per the usual. Dumbledore leaned forward in his portrait and smiled at her as if he knew her disgruntled thoughts. He lifted his long wrinkled finger and pointed to Hermione's left.

"The fourth shelf from the top, my dear," he said gesturing towards the large bookshelf that sat against the wall on her left.

She shakily stood and slowly walked to the bookshelf he indicated, something that once would have filled her with excitement but now left her with dread pooling in her empty stomach. Hermione looked over her shoulder at him with a questioning look on her ash-covered face.

"What exactly am I looking for, Sir? She asked her brow raised.

He smiled warmly and gestured with his hands for her to continue forward. Hermione huffed and let her eyes glance at the different colored spines of each book, hoping something jumped out at her. There were several D.A.D.A books and some on Potions, but of course, one book in particular called out to her. It's familiar title bringing memories to the forefront of her mind and tears to her exhausted eyes: The Winter's Tale. She touched the worn black leather spine and gently pulled it from the shelf. From the corner of her eye, she could see Dumbledore leaning back in his chair his fingers once again steepled under his chin, eyes shining brightly, but she ignored him in favor of the heavy book in her hands. She knew it like she knew herself, it was one of the first she ever read, she was named after its female lead. She carried the book back to her seat and sat down placing the book firmly in her lap.

"Open it," Dumbledore said nodding his head.

She pushed back a loose curl that had escaped her hair tie and looked down at the book that seemed to be emanating magic despite the fact that it appeared to be nothing but a normal book. She carefully lifted the cover of the book to reveal the first page. In a familiar black script, a small passage read: To Hermione, with hope for a better future. Hermione's head snapped up to greet the eyes of her former Headmaster, who had somehow known, for who knows how long, that she was going to come to him for help.

"How...how could you know?" she asked in shock.

Her chocolate eyes stared at him in what could be mistaken for horror, but after years of teaching her, he knew it was just her thirst for knowledge. "Ms. Granger, as you are well aware, to mess with time can be very dangerous. That is if the wrong person is doing the messing, but if say, a smart capable witch with all the right knowledge of time and the future were to go back…" Dumbledore said trailing off at the end.

"Then she could change the future for the better," she finished for him.

Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "Theoretically yes, but she could also destroy what is good as well. It's a very thin line to walk. You have to know exactly what to change and what to leave alone. Like, for instance, Peter Pettigrew's betrayal. Changing that could lead to even more death then what came from it in the first place," he said his eyes turning hard for a moment so brief Hermione thought she may have imagined it.

"But, Sir. I can't just sit back and allow him to kill Harry's parents!" Hermione growled sitting on the edge of her seat.

She could hear the other portraits scoff at her outburst, speaking of her blatant disrespect, to which Hermione shot the offending former headmasters an evil glare. Dumbledore chuckled deeply and raised his hands trying to placate the young woman whose nerves were obviously on edge.

"I never said that you should, my dear. All I said is that you shouldn't change his betrayal of them. It could cause a disastrous ripple effect. Not to mention you would lose out on the opportunity that knowing his exact whereabouts would bring you," he said a hint of a chuckle tainting his voice.

Hermione sat back with a huff. She hated Pettigrew and knowing that she would have to pretend to not know what he was capable of angered her. She looked back down at the book in her lap and opened it to the middle, only slightly shocked to see it was hollowed out and in the large hole that had been created laid a silver pouch and two large envelopes. She could sense that inside the pouch laid something that was most definitely leaking magic, suddenly the book emanating magic made perfect sense.

"What is this?" Hermione asked.

She kept her gaze on the silver pouch her hands itching to touch it.

"A very special time turner. One that I'm quite sure you'll remember well," Dumbledore smiled.

Hermione touched the pouch and felt a tingle run up her arm. She slowly opened it and dumped contents into her palm. The gold of her third year time turner glowed in the candlelight coming from the chandelier hanging above her. Her magic recognized the familiar connection she had always felt with this specific time turner, the one that had temporarily saved the life of Sirius Black. Her heart fell as she thought of Harry's godfather and before the memories could pull her under she pushed them down and pulled the gold chain over her neck. The heavy cold dial fell against her heart where it seemed to calm its heavy beating as if it was reminding her that soon she would be leaving to save those she loved most. She pulled the envelopes from the book and looked down at her name placed gracefully along the front of one and Dumbledores along the front of the other. When she went to open the one addressed to her she was stopped by the charismatic voice of her mentor.

"Leave that for later, once you have given me the one that is addressed to my past self. In yours you will find everything you need to help you in your task," he said.

Hermione nodded and cringed when she heard shouting coming from the hallways outside her temporary haven. She lifted the dial of the time turner into her hands and looked down at the hourglass in the middle. She finally felt the thick fear and uncertainty that she had been keeping at bay. For the first time she would be journeying alone, no Ron to make her laugh nor Harry to help her feel safe. She would be completely alone and the price of failure was a heavy weight to bear. No, she needed to remember why she was doing this and who she was doing this for. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lost in her memories just this once. She needed one final reminder of what had led to this moment

Hermione Granger stood in a room full of rubble that had once been the Great Hall, her brown eyes dull and cold as she surveyed all of the damage. The place where she and her friends had once taken their meals was now filled with the bodies of those who were injured fighting, and those she would never see alive again. She looked over their pale faces, their empty eyes staring into nothingness and pushed back the tears that tried to fall. This wasn't the time to cry or morn over the losses they had suffered. There was still another Horcrux to destroy. Harry had taken off after they had watched Professor Snape killed by Voldemort's snake, Nagini. She and Ron had both offered to go with him to view the memories Snape had given him, but she could tell he needed to be alone. Hermione ran her fingers through her thick mane of curls and winced when they got caught in a mess of tangles. She took a hair tie from her wrist and pulled her brown curls into a messy bun on the top of her head.

"Hermione! Over here," Luna called from the corner of the hall.

Her pale blonde hair was singed in places and her face covered in blood and soot. Hermione rushed over to her pulling her wand from her back pocket in preparation for whatever her friend needed. Laying in front of Luna was the heavily bleeding body of Lavender Brown. Wounds covered her neck and chest, she was shaking and gasping for air as Luna tried to stop the excessive bleeding. She had obviously been torn apart by a werewolf and Hermione winced, bile rising in her throat, but she pushed it down and dropped to her knees, reaching into her pocket to grab her magically shrunken beaded bag.

"Engorgio!" Hermione said.

The once miniscule bag started growing until it was back to its rightful size. She quickly reached inside and grabbed the mixture she had created after her own encounter with Greyback at Malfoy Manor. It was a mixture of Essence of Dittany and silver.

"Pull the cloth away from her neck, Luna," she said, unstopping the bottle.

When Luna pulled away the blood that was being held back started pouring from Lavender's neck and she gasped weakly. Hermione turned her neck to the side and started dropping the silver liquid on her neck, over every gash she could find. Just as she hoped the bleeding slowed to a stop and her flesh started knitting itself back together. Knowing she had no time to stop she moved on to her savaged chest and pulled her shirt back to reveal the claw marks the ran from her neck to her hip. She sighed in anger and opened the bottle pouring large quantities over the wound. As the silver fought the venom from the bite she used her wand to heal anything that was left over.

"Luna, grab a pain relief potion and a blood replenisher from my bag," she said.

Once she had removed some of the blood that covered Lavender she used the remainder of the girls torn shirt to transfigure her a blanket.

"Ok, give her the replenisher first and then the pain potion. The mixture I used on her was designed to heal werewolf bites, it isn't a cure so she will still have the side effects, but it isn't a full moon so she won't be a full-fledged werewolf," Hermione said, rising to her feet.

She ran her bloodied hands over her jeans and looked around the room. Madam Pomfrey and the teachers were attending to those that were still clinging to life the house banners that were once hanging above the tables had been tossed aside, Hermione couldn't help but noticed that this was the first time she had ever seen unity between houses. Everyone here was now united against a common enemy, Voldemort. This was what Dumbledore had once spoken of at the end of her fourth year, he had said how important house unity would be in the fight against evil and she was beyond proud of her fellow students. As she glanced around she could even see the green of Slytherin house helping. Ginny and Pansy Parkinson sat on their knees beside a small Ravenclaw, she couldn't be more than thirteen her left arm was wrapped in gauze and she was crying into the shoulder of Pansy who was staring wide-eyed at a smirking Ginny. Hermione pulled her jacket off and tossed it to the side. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed and was trying her best to keep her emotions in check.

"Hermione, are you ok?" a familiar voice asked.

Hermione looked up into the worn and exhausted face of her former D.A.D.A Profesor. His green eyes were worried as he looked her over for injuries. Hermione took a second to do the same. She ran her hands over his arms and face looking closely at his chest where she could see his shirt was covered in blood, but she couldn't tell if it belonged to him or someone else. His greying sandy hair was covered in ash along with his face. She forced a small smile to try and reassure him.

"I'm fine. Just worrying about Harry. What about you?" she said.

His green eyes narrowed as he assessed her. Sometimes, as odd as it sounded, Hermione thought he knew something about her that even she hadn't figured out yet. He looked at her as if he expected to see something that wasn't there. It made her feel like he found her lacking. "No, your not, and who would expect you to be. Its ok to show weakness, Hermione. No one expects you to be strong all the time," he gently said pulling her hands from his chest with a small sigh. She let his words sink in for a moment and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Remus," she lowly said and stepped away hoping she hadn't made him uncomfortable. He smiled at her and turned his head to look around the room. Hermione knew who he was searching for before he had said a word.

"Tonks is with Draco, they are...searching for survivors," she said her breath catching at the reminder of everyone they had lost.

Remus looked at her in confusion for a moment before he pulled her against him. She allowed his scent to calm her. Something she hadn't allowed since she had noticed the crush Tonks had developed. Even with her distancing herself from him something between them had changed. She wasn't sure what it was, but she hoped that she lived long enough to figure it out. After what seemed like mere seconds a loud uproar met their ears. The first thing that caught her attention was the red hair of the group that was rushing into the hall. Fred Weasley was being brought inside the side of his face covered in deep bloody gauges. Hermione gasped in shock and fear as she ran to meet them, Remus following closely beside her. Mrs. Weasley was pale and shaking as her son was laid onto the ground next to where Ginny and Pansy had been healing the Ravenclaw. His face was lifeless his body limp as he met the ground. George was sitting next to him gripping his shirt tightly as he cried out for his brother. Ron and Ginny stood next to their mother who was crying onto the chest of Percy Weasley, who looked guilty down at his brother tears leaving tracks on his dirt covered face. Hermione stood outside of their grieving circle, unsure of what she should do. She couldn't believe he was gone, she half expected him to shoot forward and start laughing merrily at how he got them all. Her body was shaking with each breath she took as she tried to control the tears that were steadily pouring down her face, in that moment she wanted her own mother, but just like Fred, she was lost to her. She would never again see them and that was the worst part of this war, she had lost too much, too many people. Someone took her shaking hand that had been held firmly against her chest and pulled her away from the scene. She turned her head to meet the green eyes of her best friend. Harry pulled her out of the hall and to the entrance, where she could see the moon illuminating the dark sky.

"What's wrong, Harry," she immediately said, sensing his unease.

Harry ran his hands through his unruly black hair and looked down at his feet. Before he was able to say a single word Ron was running towards them, his tear-stained face pale and lifeless.

"Harry, Mione! What's going on?" he asked his breathing heavy as he finally caught up with them.

Harry pulled them outside and looked towards the Forbidden Forest with determination. Finally understanding what he was going to tell them Hermione stepped back shaking her head.

"No, no Harry. You can't, please tell me you're not going," she said in tears.

Harry's face fell and he looked between his two friends, the first people he had ever been able to call his real family.

"The memories, they showed me what I have to do to end this….they…" he said unable to finish.

"It's inside you, isn't it," Hermione whispered.

She wiped the tears from Harry's face as he nodded her head. "Wait, what is inside of him. What's going on!" Ron shouted, his blue eyes shining with irritation at their lack of intelligible words. Hermione took a deep breath and turned towards Ron her face impassive.

"Harry is going to the Forbidden Forest. He...he is a Horcrux Ronald," she said, her voice breaking at the end.

Recollection filled Ron's face at her words and his breathing hitched as he looked at his best friend.

"No. No, Harry, there has to be another way. That can't be true," he said tears swimming in his eyes.

"It is. This is the only way to kill him," Harry said.

He lifted his hands and placed one on each of his friend's shoulders. "You both have to promise me that you will find the snake and kill it once im gone. Then you kill him," Harry said his voice as hard as steel.

Hermione knew at that moment that he had already come to terms with his fate and that he would bravely face it just as he faced everything else. He was Harry Potter, after all. Everything he did, he did with strength and bravery. She took her best friend, her brother, in her arms and hugged him with every bit of strength she had left. She hoped it would be enough to get him through what he had to face.

"I'll go with you, Harry," she whispered in his ear.

He pulled away from her and took a brown curl that had escaped her bun and gave it a small yank. "No, I need you both safely here so you can take care of the rest. You are the only two that will know what needs to be done before anyone battles Voldemort," Harry said.

She nodded and he pulled away from her. He gave them both one last nod and ran off into the darkness, heading to his unavoidable death.

Hermione and Ron stood by the entrance pacing back and forth as they waited, hoping that somehow they would see their friend alive again. A few paces away from them Hermione could see Neville searching through the rumble with the sorting hat in his hands. He was limping his leg obviously injured. She looked away from him and into the Great Hall where the Weasleys and Remus were still standing beside the body of Fred. She pulled Ron beside her and into her arms where he broke down, the loss of his brother too much for him to bear alone. She let him cry until movement at the edge of the forest caught her attention.

"R...Ron…" she stuttered.

Ron pulled away from her and followed her gaze his jaw tightening when she saw the large group of Death Eaters approaching the school. Hermione started running towards them with her wand drawn as she looked frantically for the familiar dark unruly hair of her best friend. She barely noticed that Ron, Neville and everyone who was physically able to fight had followed her to the edge of the forest. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Hagrid exit the treeline with something in his arms. Tears bubbling from his eyes and his breath coming out in sharp gasps. A sharp snakelike voice caused her stomach to jolt.

"That's far enough," Voldemort said as he and the rest of his followers met them outside the forest.

She was surrounded by the others who were all whispering, asking if that was Harry and if he was dead. Hermione couldn't bring herself to believe it. He couldn't be gone, not Harry.

"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort hollered into the night.

Everyone around Hermione let out cries of disbelief, anger, and sadness, but she remained stock still her heart plummeting, though no tears fell from her eyes. She felt someone next to her take her hand and with extreme difficulty she turned to see Neville standing beside her, his jaw tight and the sword of Gryffindor in his other hand. She looked away and back towards Harry's limp body lying in the arms of Hagrid who held him like he did when Harry was but a baby, everything else faded, the only thing she could see was his body. Then the faces of everyone else she had lost flashed before her eyes. Her parents, Sirius, Fred, Dumbledore and so many others. She couldn't do this, it was too much. She turned towards the hard and determined face of Neville and leaned into him.

"You have to kill the snake. Then he will be mortal," she whispered handing over the duty that had been left to her and Ron.

She could see him say something to her but with a bright flash of red light the next half of the battle had begun and he was suddenly running off towards the snake as Hermione walked backward away from the battle and towards the castle. She lifted her wand and disillusioned herself as she ran. She could see the bright lights of the castle beckoning her forwards as if it knew what she intended to do. Hermione knew if anyone could help her change what had happened it would be Albus Dumbledore.

Pulling herself from the memory with a new resolve Hermione took a deep steadying breath as she started turning the dial. With one last determined look at the headmaster, who sent her a heavy nod, she felt herself being pulled roughly backward, the world around her becoming nothing but a blur. After what felt like hours but was actually mere minutes the spinning slowed and her feet made impact with solid ground. Her knees buckled and she fell with a loud thump, her head spinning as fast as her body had during the quick travel through time. She felt a moment of relief before she leaned forward and emptied her stomach, which consisted of nothing but bile and blood from being empty for far too long. She didn't have the strength to vanish her mess and instead, fell back onto her legs before sliding over onto her side where she felt her heavy eyes close and darkness consume her.