The Dementor Problem

## Instigation

As it had in canon, the dementors were stationed at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade during the 1993-94 school year to capture Sirius Black. This resulted in major canon events occurring; specifically when they stopped the train on September 1st and when they attacked Harry during the stormy Quidditch game against Hufflepuff. Seeing things from Hermione's perspective, she could only describe them as pure evil, in a most terrified way; and soon found that her innocence had been destroyed after that first exposure on the train.  That said, she only showed vocal protest against the dementors until the Quidditch match. After Harry fell and nearly died (or could have died, if not for coven magic), Hermione declared vengeance on the dementors.

> *"They almost killed him," she repeated, anger growing in her voice.*
>
>
> *"They did," Blaise quietly agreed. "What are you going to do about it?"*
>
>
> *Hermione felt her fury catch fire, determination burning inside.*
>
>
>
> *"I'm going to kill them," she vowed. "Then all their friends can watch on in horror, too."*
>
>

## Preparation

In usual Hermione fashion, she begun with researching the dementors. On learning about the dementor's kiss she was horrified and appalled to learn that they can suck out people's souls; rightly calling it the Darkest thing you can do to a person. Consequently, this led to a confrontation with Tom, though he convinced her to spare his life in exchange for helping her with her 'moral obligation to destroy all dementors'.  Tom theorized that, since they feed on souls, dementors likely have the same weaknesses as horcruxes. Which essentially leaves Hermione only four options: Basilisk Venom, Fiendfyre, Devil's Fire, and a purification ritual on Beltane. Hermione dismissed the first, as she's no combat specialist, and the third and fourth because of they're impracticality. So she decided to learn fiendfyre in the Chamber of Secrets.  Since it's a fire-based curse, Hermione decided to subdue a fire elemental on Yule (when fire magic is at it's weakest); with a plan to make her move on midsummer, to use the elemental and fiendfyre at it's highest power.

While Hermione busied herself with that, Harry convinced Lupin to offer Patronus lessons to the entire coven rather than just for himself. During their first lesson, Hermione got an idea to create a boggart "farm". This way she can use more boggarts to practice both the Patronus and Fiendfyre.  This farm consists of upside-down cauldrons imbued with raw magic and left to process in the dungeons. (The hope is that students' fear of Potions class will help the magic form towards the creation of boggarts.) She continued lessons in both Fiendfyre and the Patronus dutifully, with only mild success for the first month. She achieved her first corporeal Patronus in February (as well as other forms later that month). In March she finally found a hatred deep enough to successfully cast Fiendfyre.

Hermione's plans against the dementors weren't limited to the ones at Hogwarts, but for *all* dementors. That means finding a way to Azkaban. The location of Azkaban is not known to the public, as the prison is unplottable. However, for Christmas Luna gifted Hermione a map all the ley lines in the UK, Ireland, and the surrounding areas. Luna hinted that Hermione ought to check the single line headed to Norway. Hermione caught on and, sure enough, discovered a single nexus in the middle of the ocean, marking the prison's location.  That said, Hermione has limited experience with ley line travel. So she made a deal with Tolly for a faerie stone in order to practice popping through ley lines on Imbolc and Beltane (they aren't needed on Ostara). Hermione took advantage of this, practicing travel through various nodes and nexuses during all three days to test her limits.  Luna also pointed out that there may be mass hysteria if all of the dementors are killed overnight. Especially as many will think it was Voldemort who did the deed. Tom heard these concerns and advised that Hermione let herself be seen, pointing out that crazy people are not going to get the details right and be too grateful to her to sell her out.

On Midsummer day Hermione realized a possible flaw in her hand. She may have a wand, but she had nothing for Tom to use. In an impromptu moment, she attempted to use the Gemino Curse on Harry's wand. The spell worked, to a degree, by recreating the components of the wand without any of Ollivander's magic. That said, the spell caused so much magical drain that Hermione briefly passed out upon casting it.  Unbeknownst to Hermione, Harry's wand was the perfect choice, as his phoenix core is a twin of Tom's/Voledmort's.

## The Attack

On Midsummer night, Hermione travelled by the ley lines to Azkaban. By the time she pulled Tom out from the diary, it was 10:04pm, giving her only a two hour timeframe before the ley lines become unsafe. After giving Tom the wand, they moved out to the prison. They started from the roof, flying up via the air elemental, and with wings made from her fire elemental.

Once they reached the roof, Hermione cast *Fiendfyre* on the dementors. When the first dementor was 'eaten' by the dragon-shaped flames, the other dementors tried to flee down the trap door into the prison or escape by gliding off of the roof. On seeing the gliding escape attempts, Hermione cast a second, snake-shaped Fiendfyre to go after the strays. The flames caught one dementor, but the other started to escape. Enraged at the thought, her magic reacted by summoning her earth elemental. The elemental used its magic to make giant arms out of Azkaban's stone walls, reaching out and pining the dementor in place (and leaving a gaping hole in the prison wall in the process.)

Hermione saw this new hole as an opportunity. She left the dragon on the roof to devour those left stranded, while she and Tom flew inside the building. They went down the stairs to the bottom floor (flying, rather than walking). This way they can work their way up while the dragon focused on the top. When the reached the bottom floor Hermione began to eviscerate the dementors one by one with snake, then cheetah-shaped, cursed fire. While she was on the attack, Tom went on the defensive. He conjured a fox Patronus to guard their exit (since he's using Hermione's magic, he can use the elementals and her personal Patronus animal to a degree.)

On the fourth floor they reached the first of the prison cells, so Hermione had to put tight control on the (now velociraptor-shaped) Fiendfyre to prevent burning the humans alive. On the sixth floor, she realized that her gaping hole caused two prisoner's cells to be wrenched open. One was a man with straggly sandy brown hair, and the other was a woman with messy black curls. They weren't moving to escape, and Tom advised Hermione to simply move on (to keep up a persona.)

The tenth floor had the most dementors. Enough to be crammed full of them. The now-tiger Patronus ripped through the room. As this was happening, Tom was losing his supply of magic. To speed up their attack, Hermione blasted open the roof to allow both flame-monsters the ability to attack the remaining dementors. When they finished, she advised Tom to return to diary to be safe. He left, and Hermione raced downstairs to the hole in the wall to make her escape.

When she got there, however, there was someone new there. A cloaked figure (likely Sylvia Lestrange) was astride a broomstick covered in blood runes. Behind the cloaked figure, the female prisoner (likely Bellatrix Lestrange) was climbing onto the broom. The mysterious figure was unsurprised by Hermione's presence, and merely commented that she- or their luck potion- made this jail break easier to accomplish. Despite these hints, Hermione was not able to identify the figure. Nor was she able to make chase after them as they flew away. Realizing that she was running out of time, she returned to her hidden supplies and diary, and escaped through the ley line at 11:58pm.

## Aftermath

The first, immediate aftermath of her departure was in getting caught in the ley lines passed midnight. It led to a short, terrifying conversation with an unknown faerie, before she was able to escape via the coven bond to Blaise's bed. The faerie had been watching the attack, and knew Hermione's full name. Moreover, the conversation was about Hermione's "contradictions", in a way that resonates deeply with A.G.E's prophecy. Meaning that this meeting was foretold to take place and will lead to bigger things.

The next morning the *Daily Prophet* announced the dementor genocide on the front page. Most of the prisoners weren't talking to the investigating aurors, but one (Antonin Dolohov) said that "a Valkyrie came down from Vahalla. She came on wings of fire and destroyed the dementors with her power." Some others mentioned an angel of fire or a Valkyrie; and a couple witnesses mentioned a helper/loyal warrior helping her. Though all, at least according to Dolohov, are grateful to the Valkyrie and see her as a saviour.

Despite these descriptions, there are no other details given about her appearance, nor of Tom's, so Hermione appears to be safe from discovery against the aurors. The same cannot be said within Hogwarts. Several people caught on quickly that Hermione was responsible for the attack. Specifically Snape, Theo, and Blaise. Snape sought her out hours before the paper's announcement, having heard about the attack from the Ministry and knew enough about the situation to suspect her. That said, he has no intent of telling anyone, mainly because he's her mentor (though he claimed it was because no one would believe him.)  Theo confronted her right after the papers arrived, enraged that she killed the dementors, but was brought down with fear as Hermione threatened him to keep silent "lest (he) join their number".

## Those In-The-Know

Luna Lovegood - Throughout the year, Luna showed knowledge of Hermione's plans for Midsummer because of her Seer abilities. That said, she originally heard about it when she was young via a prophecy from an old, bearded man (currently only known as A.G.E) that hints to this event.  Despite having heard the prophecy, Luna says she's too young to remember it.

Sylvia Lestrange - At midnight on Midsummer, Hermione departed from Hogwarts via the ley lines. She first went to Stonehenge to complete a blackmail deal with Sylvia Lestrange. During this meeting Sylvia alluded to knowledge of Hermione's plans this night. Likely from overhearing the prophecy given by A.G.E. (or perhaps the Unspeakables, as a group, were aware of her plans?)  This is further confirmed when the "mysterious figure" (Sylvia) appeared at Azkaban and was, once again, speaking as if she expected to see Hermione there.

Un-named Faerie - The faerie from the day after Midsummer outright admitted to knowing she had just cremated the dementors. He found it a delightful contradiction that she would use fire, an evil force, to destroy Dementors, the "most evil" beings that exist. Thereby using her fire as a force for good.

Severus Snape - He realized it was her the moment he heard the news. Especially since he immediately checked her dorm room and confirmed she wasn't in bed at 4am.  He also knew of her grudge against dementors and that she can cast Fiendfyre.

Theodore Nott - He also realized it was her straight away. He was woken up when she escaped to Blaise. That, and she previously asked him about Fiendfyre.

Blaise Zabini - He gave no confrontation or discussion with her, but it's obvious that he realized Hermione was responsible.

Tracey Davis - Tracey realized it on the train home to London. She discovered the truth based on a tarot reading she gave Hermione after the exams. On seeing the Tower card, Hermione had describe herself as the lighting striking the tower. Once she remembered that reading, Tracey confronted Hermione on the train, getting confirmation that she was the one to attack Azkaban.

1. ↑ Chapter 251: The Sorting and Two New Teachers https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/251/New-Blood
2. ↑ Chapter 277: Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/277/New-Blood
3. ↑ Chapter 279: Confrontation https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/279/New-Blood
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 283: Hints of Fiendfyre https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/283/New-Blood
5. ↑ Chapter 307: Lessons with Lupin https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/307/New-Blood
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 308: Plotting and the Unplottable https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/308/New-Blood
7. ↑ Chapter 338: Fiendfyre https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/338/New-Blood
8. ↑ Chapter 317: Firebolts and Ley Lines https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/317/New-Blood
9. ↑ Chapter 393: Doing Better https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/393/New-Blood
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chapter 399: Stonehenge https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/399/New-Blood
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 400: Azkaban https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/400/New-Blood
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Chapter 401: The Other Side https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/401/New-Blood
13. ↑ Chapter 402: The Morning After https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/402/New-Blood
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Chapter 404: End of the Year https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/404/New-Blood
15. ↑ Chapter 384: Sirius Black's Trial - Interlude https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/384/New-Blood
16. ↑ Chapter 398: End of Exams https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13051824/398/New-Blood