Some of the women wanted nothing to do with the children they'd been forced to bear, some wanted abortions, while others were ferociously protective of their pregnancies and refused to let their children out of their arms. After nearly three years of living with compulsions, many of the surrogates had internalised them so deeply they fluctuated between compulsive subservience and vicious rebelliousness.
The courts began moving in favour of the Wizarding families, which were very keen to see their bloodlines maintained and their heirs raised suitably. Their lawyers argued that the surrogates were deeply unstable; it would be in the best interest of everyone to remove the children, provide some monetary compensation to the surrogates, and let everyone “move on”.
“I'm going to go back,” Ginny said abruptly after reading the most recent newspaper about the Repopulation Program trials. “I've been thinking about it for a few months now, and I think I have to.”
Hermione and Draco were silent.
Ginny looked down at the paper in her hands, her knuckles white. “They're trying to erase it all. Trials, and money, and taking away the kids and giving them to old families with the exact same ideology that started the war. They act like once everything's been ruled on, everything will be all better. They'll raze and bury it all and paint themselves as Britain's saviors, and let everything that happened and everyone that died just disappear. They don't care about the survivors. They're not even talking about the people who died. It's like they're trying to deal with everything as fast as they can so they can just pretend it never happened and that they're not collaborators.”
Ginny released an angry breath and looked up at Hermione. “I'm going to kill him. I'm going to go kill Voldemort. He doesn't deserve to die on his own in some castle. After that bastard is dead, I'm going to make sure that no one ever forgets all the people who died fighting.” She swallowed, her face was grey. “So I need you to take care of James for me so I can go back.”
Hermione felt herself grow cold.
“And—” Ginny hesitated and inhale unsteadily, “I need you both to help me get ready. That bomb you made for Hogwarts, I need to know how to make it. I need to practice dueling. It's been years since I fought. I'm going — I'm going to try to go after James' 5th birthday.” Ginny's eyes were beginning to swim with tears. “That way I have some time to say goodbye, in case — in case I don't come back.”
“Ginny...”
“I have to do this,” Ginny said sharply. “I always tell James about how his dad and all my family were heroes who always fought to protect people. I can't keep looking into eyes just like Harry's, saying that, and doing nothing but living on this island for the rest of my life. James can't live on this island for the rest of his life. He has to go to school at Hogwarts and see the world his dad died to protect—” Ginny's voice cut off, and she wiped her eyes. “I haven't done my part yet. This is my part. I've been thinking about it ever since the Liberation Front reached Britain, but I kept telling myself to let International Confederation handle it. But they're doing it wrong. I can't sit and read about it anymore.”
Hermione reached across the table, trying to grasp her hand. “Ginny. Ginny, if you do this, you could die. Don't — don't leave James an orphan.”
Ginny stared across the table at Hermione. “I don't think I can keep living with myself if I don't,” she said in a flat voice. Her face twisted. “You feel guilty for being here, and you sold yourself to try to win the war. You were imprisoned in a hole somewhere in Hogwarts while I was here gardening; you were raped and nearly died more times than I probably know about while I was teaching myself to make meat pies; and you feel guilty that you're here, even though a mind-healer said going back would probably kill you.” Ginny looked down and swallowed. “Staying because of James is just an excuse for me, I know he'll be safe with you.”
Hermione nodded.
Hermione reluctantly compiled all her research on bomb-making. She'd had time to perfect it. She'd refined the analysis and technique as a mental puzzle. She hadn't planned to ever share it, or use it again.
Draco taught Ginny to duel. He was more unpleasant training her than he'd been training Hermione, and he was much more exacting. Hermione hadn't realised how much time and consideration Draco had invested in strategizing and determining the best way to kill Voldemort. Hermione watched them train and realised with horror that if his psychosomatic tremors didn't still manifested severely under stress, he probably would have gone back and tried to kill Voldemort after Hermione created his second prosthetic.
Hermione taught Ginny all the basic techniques involved in designing a bomb. Draco provided Hermione with as much information as he could recall about how the enchantments on the castle functioned.