Chapter Six: Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for

Hermione Granger sat in her bedroom, curled up in her armchair reading one of her first-year textbooks. She was trying to figure out what she had forgotten, which was frustratingly a typical occurrence for her. It felt like as far back as she could remember, she’d been living with this sensation that she’d forgotten something really important. For the life of her though, she could never figure it out to the point where the feeling went away for more than a day or two. It was so intense that it had shaped a large portion of the person that she was. She constantly felt like she couldn’t study enough, read enough, or know enough to remember whatever it was that she had forgotten. Thus her insatiable urge for knowledge.

Growling frustrated and completely uninterested in rereading more of her first-year charms book for maybe the 13^th time, she slammed the cover shut and let the book fall to the floor as she flopped back dramatically in her chair. Bottom line. Hermione was bored. They were supposed to be in France, which would have at least given her new and interesting things to focus on. Instead, she was stuck in her room. The trip had been postponed until next summer, because on their way home from the train station, they got into an accident. Her father ended up with a broken arm, which threw a wrench into their plans.

Hermione’s father refused to fly, because he was severely afraid of flying, and her mother doesn’t drive. Therefore, there was no going to France, which meant Hermione was stuck in her bedroom. She had considered writing Harry and Ron, well mostly Harry. One of the advantages of rooming with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil was that Hermione always heard the gossip. Sometimes, she even heard gossip that pertained to her or one of her friends if they forgot or didn’t know that she was around. From what she’d heard from the girls, Ron had been complaining about her and Harry to Seamus and Dean Thomas when she and Harry weren’t around.

While Hermione understood that no friendship was without its rough patches, she found it frustrating that Harry was so unwaveringly loyal to Ronald, while the brat ran his mouth about Harry having everything money and fame wise and not appreciating it. As for herself, Hermione wavered on whether or not she cared about what Ron said about her. Because of her natural personality of being a shy and extremely smart, Hermione was used to being teased and bullied. Her thick-skinned nature had been earned and cultivated. That didn’t mean that words didn’t still hurt, and sometimes she waivered between her need for friends, and her frustration with Ron’s laziness and temper.

“Hermione, I need you to come downstairs, please,” she heard her father call out, and groaning she glared at the ceiling before pushing herself up out of the chair and heading out of her room to do as she was told. While she was bored, she also wasn’t in the mood for whatever task or errand her parents would come up with for her to do now. It felt like because her father had broken his arm that both of them had become incapable of doing anything. A part of her though, the part who paid attention to little things Harry said and other small details about him, thought that maybe now she knew what Harry’s non-school life was like.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Hermione searched the kitchen and living room where her parents typically habituated. Realizing that she heard voices from the front of the house, she headed toward the front room where guests were entertained at. Reaching the doorway, she paused just shy of stepping fully into the room when she saw not only her Transfiguration Professor and Head of House but also three other people she didn’t recognize sitting with her parents in their very stuffy formal front room.

“Professor McGonagall?” Hermione greeted suddenly worried as her mind raced to come up with  reasonable explanation as to why the older woman would be at her house with strangers over the summer. “Has something happened? Oh, are we in trouble for the bit with the basilisk? Are we being expelled? Did I fail transfigurations?”

“Miss Granger,” Minerva interrupted as Hermione’s brain stuttered in the midst of its panicked imagining of all the horrible reasons why her professor could be in her house. “Please, calm yourself. This has nothing to do with the… incident at the end of the year. As to failing transfigurations, I don’t think that even if you deliberately tried to fail my class you could. Please, come here and sit next to me. There are some things I need to discuss with you.”

Nodding, Hermione moved to perch on the edge of the sofa as her eyes roamed around the room. In addition to her parents there was what looked like an older native American man who was standing behind Professor McGonagall with his hip resting against the back of the sofa. Then there was an older woman who appeared to be of Egyptian descent and a younger man who could have easily fit in with the Weasley clan with all of his red hair, pale skin and freckles.

“Miss Granger, seated on the love sofa are Rayan Aziz from the Magical Department of Child Protective Services and Dewy Ambarella a muggle liaison that assists us with our CPS issues for our muggle raised children. Next to me is my partner Nahele Horn, who is here for personal reasons.”

“I don’t,” Hermione started as her brain completely stopped functioning for a few minutes. Of all the reasons that her brain was rapidly coming up with to explain the unexpected visit, anything that required CPS hadn’t even been considered. “I don’t understand, Professor McGonagall. Why… Mum? Dad? What’s going on?”

Hermione turned scared eyes toward her parents, only to see shades of annoyance or irritation on their faces. In fact, her mother almost looked relieved, which only made Hermione more confused. “What’s going on?” She repeated focusing on her father, who almost always spoke for her parents. Not because he demanded it, but mostly because it felt like half the time her mother just couldn’t be bothered.

“Just something that needs cleared up, ‘Mione girl,” Her father threw out nonchalantly as if having two different CPS departments in their formal room was an everyday occurrence.

“Miss Granger,” Professor McGonagall said drawing her attention again as her professor rested a hand on her forearm. “Miss Aziz has some questions for you, and then once she’s done, we’ll talk some more. Official things need settled first though before I can go more in-depth. I know that you’re scared and confused, but we just need to get though this next bit and then all will be explained.

Straightening her spine, Hermione gave her favorite professor a nod before turning her attention towards Ms. Aziz. “Miss Granger, I just have a few standard questions for you, Mr. Ambarella is here mostly to observe things since your parents are muggles, in case we discover any legal issues that would need to be dealt with on the muggle side. Now, I need to know if you are comfortable with Mr. Horn being your adult representative while I question you. If so, then Professor McGonagall will escort your parents to another room briefly while we talk. If not, I will have another adult come to sit with you while we talk.”

“N…no,” Hermione stammered before taking another deep breath and giving the witch a nod. Reminding herself that she was a Gryffindor and had faced both a troll and a three headed dog not to mention two different forms of Voldemort since her time at Hogwarts had begun. Thus, a few questions from the government people really were nothing in comparison. Obviously, whatever was going on was a huge misunderstanding that she just needed to clear up.

“No, I am more than comfortable with Mr. Horn being my adult representative.”

Hermione then watched her parents stand and say they were going to the kitchen to make themselves something to eat while they waited. As they left. Professor McGonagall promised that she would stand watch outside in the corridor to make sure that they didn’t sneak back in, before she moved to lean against the doorway with her back to the room. Then, Hermione watched Ms. Aziz pull out her wand and cast what Hermione guessed to be a privacy spell as Mr. Horn moved to sit down next to her on the couch. Once Ms. Aziz was done, she then turned her attention fully to Hermione.

“I have a series of questions for you that I know will be upsetting. It’s important though that you answer fully and honestly.”

“I understand,” Hermione replied as she pictured her beloved professor in her mind, as a stray thought raced through her head that she really needed to write Harry after this.

“Have either Mr. Jacob Ganger or Mrs. Elizabeth Granger ever hurt you physically, emotionally, or sexually?”

“No!” Hermione snapped before forcing herself to calm down. Despite the fact that she’d expected such a question to be asked, she was horrified to hear it. “No, my parents have never abused me in any manner. If I get in trouble, I get privileges taken away, but that’s it.”

“And what do they constitute trouble?” Ms. Aziz asked seeming unruffled by Hermione’s burst of anger.

“Misbehaving, talking back to them, not doing chores. Normal kid things I suppose.”

“And what are your chores?”

Hermione forced herself to lean back and at least try and relax, even though her body was wound tight. “I have to wash up after dinner and I have to keep my room clean. I am expected to do my schoolwork, and since my father has a broken arm, I have been needed to help mum out more around the house. There is nothing unreasonable though. At least I don’t think so. I mean I might get annoyed on occasion when they interrupt my reading, but father is hurt.”

“Quite so,” Ms. Aziz agreed with a nod and a smile. “Especially when it seems people always interrupt just as you’re getting to just the best part. It makes things ever so much more frustrating, when that happens, I find.”

“Yes!” Hermione agreed nodding quickly as she leaned forward. “I mean I understand mum needs more help around the house now. I’m just disappointed that we didn’t get to take our trip to France, I suppose.”

“I understand you have family there?”

“Hmm yes, distant relations on my mum’s side. My great grandfather was from France and my grandmother Monnier on my father’s side was born there before they immigrated to England.  She died when I was quite young, and I never met Great Grandfather Cypress, but I was quite looking forward to something new. Ms. Aziz, I don’t quite understand what brought you here, but honestly, my teenage frustrations about reading time aside, my parents are quite good to me, if strict in my opinion. I am sure they have their reasons for being strict though.”

“Strict how?” Ms. Aziz questioned further, and Hermione huffed in annoyance with herself for even mentioning that last bit. “Oh, you know, things like not letting me go anywhere by myself yet or not letting me stay home alone. I am 13 now after all! I think I am old enough for such responsibilities, but mum and dad say there are too many dangerous people in the world, and they don’t feel comfortable. Plus, I don’t think they like magic all that much, and knowing that there is a whole world out there that they don’t understand and aren’t a part of unnerves them a bit I think.”

“Both reasonable sounding things,” Ms. Aziz agreed, and Hermione gave a nod before relaxing back on the couch again. Hopefully that response meant that whatever nonsense was going on, it would be cleared up soon.

“What do you think of Professor McGonagall?”

And just like that, Hermione was confused and scared again. Whyever would CPS need to know about her relationship with her professor for?”

“Why she’s one of my favorite professors at Hogwarts, and I quite admire her! I think I am lucky to have been sorted into her house. She seems to honestly care for us all. Even when we annoy her by breaking the rules.”

“And how would you feel if Professor McGonagall was your guardian?” Ms. Aziz asked, and Hermione immediately straightened again wide eyed. Her gaze flying around the room until Mr. Horn placed a hand on her shoulder this time drawing her attention.

“It’s ok, Ms. Granger,” Mr. Horn offered quietly giving her a calm, reassuring smile. “You have done nothing wrong. There are some things here that happened quite some time ago that need dealt with. They’re simply trying to find the best resolution for everyone involved.”

“But I don’t…” Hermione started and stopped herself again. Then, after giving herself a mental shake, she once more straightened her back, and picturing her beloved professor in her mind, answered the question.”

“Professor McGonagall is probably my favorite person in the magical world. In fact, when I am an adult witch, I hope to be even a fraction of the amazing witch that she is. If I am, then I know I will be successful in whatever I do. If something happened, and for some reason I could not live with my parents any longer, Professor McGonagall would be my first choice as guardian. I don’t quite… My parents aren’t really my parents, are they?”

As Hermione watched, the older woman opened her mouth, then shut it with a huff as she threw a glare at Professor McGonagall’s back. Next to Hermione, Mr. Horn seemed amused if the chuckles he was sharing was any indication, and Mr. Ambarella just seemed bemused. “It’s really the only logical conclusion to this situation. I don’t exhibit any of the classic signs of any kind of abuse. In fact, my best friend Harry Potter is a much better candidate for that than I am. That means that something else has to be going on, and really… what else can it be? I suppose there could be another reason, but I doubt that you’re hear about the diary from first year, or the basilisk from this year or any of the other ridiculously dangerous things going on at that school that you magical adults just seem to think is perfectly acceptable.

“To be quite frank, I have never felt like I fit, my whole life. Not until I got to Hogwarts that is. While I still don’t always feel like my puzzle piece fits in the empty spot they’re trying to put me into, its much better than it was. Maybe Professor McGonagall can help me remember whatever it is that I’ve been trying to remember my entire life before it completely drives me around the bend. No, things are just… better at Hogwarts.

“I think that my parents, or whomever they are since it seems they aren’t really my parents, but it seems like they love me as much as they can. I can tell I am something of a disappointment to them. They are very uncomfortable by my magic and have never quite known what to do with it. They’re both very intelligent, but frankly lack the emotional depth at times that I think a parent needs. I don’t know as they truly thought out the whole having a child thing, and I would imagine that they will be quite… not happy but mu… Mrs. Granger looked relieved earlier and I think that’s the right word for it. I just… I wonder if Professor McGonagall will truly love me and want me. I don’t think that I want her to be my guardian if she’s just doing this out of a sense of duty. I just…”

Hermione trailed off and could feel herself shaking. Bowing her head, she let her hair fall in front of her face to hide the tears that she could feel rolling down her cheeks. She had tried to be strong and immolate the woman who was such an influence on her, but it was hard when it seemed that her whole life was getting blown to bits.

“Ms. Granger, is it ok if I put an arm around your shoulders?” Mr. Horn asked, and Hermione looked up quickly and gave him a shaky nod. “I am sorry. I should have asked before I touched you the two previous times.” He offered before he put an arm around her, and Hermione couldn’t help but snuggle into his side. She really, really wished that Harry was there, because he really was a good snuggler now that she had him trained in how to do it best.

Glancing at Ms. Aziz and Mr. Ambarella looked to be trying to comfort her.  “I just want a parent who will love me and want me and not see me as some responsibility or disappointment. I quite often feel like I am something my parents started and then regretted but knew that they had to keep doing. I have to say that I rather hate it, to be honest. I think of all the people that I know in the magical world that I would rather Professor McGonagall is my guardian than anyone else. She would certainly be better than some stranger that I don’t know. She’ll understand my friendship with Harry without getting weird about it like mu… Mr. and Mrs. Granger do. I just… only if she really wants me. That’s my only stipulation. I don’t want her to do it if its just a duty. And that they let me see Harry as soon as possible. Honestly, seeing Harry might be the most important bit. I really feel like I need to see him right now.”

“I think that we need to have Minerva join us,” Ms. Aziz said quietly. Her voice soft and thick with emotion, and Mr. Ambarella said he’d do it before he stood to fetch her.

When the Professor joined them, Hermione could tell she was immediately concerned and ready to take someone apart for upsetting one of her charges. Mr. Horn immediately got up offering Professor McGonagall his seat, as Mr. Ambarella excused himself.

“I think I am satisfied that while the “adoption” wasn’t legal, there has been no abuse done to the child. Since the Ministry has asked us to keep things quiet, I will give the Grangers their options of signing secrecy documents or being obliviated. Unless you can think of something else that you need me for though, I think its best I excuse myself. I know that there are some confidentiality things coming that I am not cleared for. So, my time might be better served in the kitchen with the Grangers explaining to them just how close they came to being in a great deal of trouble.”

After being thanked for his time by Ms. Aziz, Mr. Ambarella left the room and Hermione once again found herself looking to her Head of House for answers. Mr. Horn, who asked that Hermione call him Nahele because the Mr. stuff was making him feel old, explained to McGonagall what had happened thus far that led to her being called in to join them. “ Once more, you have exceeded my expectations, Ms… well… I suppose I will just call you Hermione for the moment if that is ok with you? There have been quite a few things going on this summer that you are understandably unaware of. So, let me give you a rundown, and then later on, hopefully, you and I will have time to talk more in-depth and I can explain the questions I know you will have.”

Hermione smiled sheepishly, and McGonagall just smiled knowingly at her before starting her explanation. “I am going to tell you quite a few things that I am sure you will find hard to believe, but I promise you that everything I am going to tell you have been proven to be factual. Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco as well as your friend Harry have been sent back in time so that their adult minds and memories are in younger bodies. This was done by Lady Magic herself to fix some things that it seems we all mucked up the first time around, and when I say we I mean the adults around you. It seems that you children are really the only ones who had your shite together the first time around.”

“Minnie! I’m shocked at your language,” Nahele threw in with mock outrage, and Minerva threw him a glare even as Hermione giggled at him silently agreeing.

“If you can come up with a better way to say it Nahele, then be my guest, but until then I suggest you sit there and be pretty while Hermione and I have a conversation.”

“Yes ma’am,” Nahele offered giving Hermione a wink as she giggled once more.

“Now, where was I… oh yes, the mess we made. I know you are probably even more concerned about getting to Harry, and I promise you that I will do my best to see to it as soon as I can. Harry has been removed from the Dursleys, who unlike your parents are in a great deal of trouble. Not only did they lose custody of Harry, but their son Dudley has also been taken from them and is being evaluated for abuse. I am sure you are worried about Harry being different. I am afraid that I cannot help you there. I can tell you that he wants to see you as much as you want to see him, and I am sure his current… guardians will accommodate him.

“Now, back to what I was saying. It has been discovered that Harry is young Draco’s Veela Mate. I am not sure that you know what a Veela is, but to be brief, they are a type of magical creature that at times mates with human witches or wizards creating what some call half-breed offspring. The Veela traits run on both sides of Draco’s line, and it seems that his jaunt back in time has activated his. Along with coming back in time, the Malfoys have given us some information about an upcoming war, and have declared that they will not be on the same side as before. Instead they are forming a third side as it seems that Headmaster Dumbledore was one of the problems the first time around.

“This has been supported by some behavioral modifications that have been found on myself, Professor Snape, a man named Remus Lupin that you do not know but will be a professor for DADA this year, and Filius Flitwick. We do believe there are more, but we are slowly going through people as we don’t want Dumbledore to be made aware of our actions just yet. When they were sent back in time, Lucius Malfoy was given a potion for Professor Snape so that he could be freed of some oaths and bonds that were harming him. This will allow him to be more of an advocate for the students in his house that I am horrified to find out have as many problems as my Lions do.

“After Severus recovered from the potion, he regained some memories, and one of them is what has led us here, my dear. It seems… Well, there is no easy or gentle way to say this. So I am going to just be frank. You are living your second lifetime, only you were not sent back in time. Previously, you were a witch named Marlene McKinnon. It was believed up until a couple days ago that you had died along with your family at the hands of Death Eaters, which is the name of the followers of the Dark Lord from the previous war. As it turns out, you were not killed. Instead, Dumbledore had you potioned with a deaging potion and oblivated to remove absolutely all of your memories. He then brought you to the Grangers and gave you to them with the promise that you would not be magical.

“We have no idea why he said that and cannot ask him as he seems to have disappeared. We suspect that he somehow became aware of his various modifications and bonds and such being broken and realized that he’d been found out, but we are unsure. This leaves us in a quandary as to what to do with you because in all honesty, you do not belong to the Grangers and never should have been given to them. As we were discussing our options, I advised that I would be willing… no, I would be honored to be your guardian, and down the road if you feel comfortable with it, we can even discuss adoption.”

Professor McGonagall paused at this point, and Hermione almost spoke up, but she could see that the older woman was not done and due to her familiarity with her knew that it would be best if she stayed quiet for the moment. “You mentioned to Nahele and Rayan that you did not want me to be your guardian if it was only some kind of duty or responsibility on my part, and… Well quite frankly Hermione just the fact that the thought entered your mind breaks my heart. No child should me made to feel like a responsibility or a duty from the adults who are in charge of their day to day upbringing. Whether those people are parents or guardians or aunts and uncles or grandparents or whatever… It horrifies me that any child feels that way no matter who they are, what house they are sorted into, what their blood status is or any other riduculus metric we have to measure people. Every child should feel loved by their parents or parental figures. You certainly would not be a duty or a responsibility to me. Will I have a stronger duty or responsibility to you than I do my other students, of course.

“That being said, I am not doing this because of some foolish notion like the greater good, or a sense of duty or anything else. You were in your first lifetime, and you are currently one of my favorite students. I have always felt a kinship to you that I could not explain, even when you had two loving parents who absolutely adored you. So, if you believe nothing else, know that I am not doing this because I feel like I have to, but because I want to be your parental figure no matter what title we end up with on that end. Things will certainly be more complicated between us than they will be between say myself and Ms. Brown.

“I don’t know if it will ease your mind any, but there will be some resorting when school begins. We suspect that the sorting hat has been tampered with and in all honesty, I suspect that you will be one of those resorted. The reason I believe that is that I know that in your previous lifetime you firmly believed that you were the Heir to the House of Raveclaw. If this is true, then the hat should have, and will this time sort you into Filius’ house where you belong so that you can take up your seat and your responsibility.

“I don’t want you to feel pressured or think that you have to feel some certain way about our situation, but I want you to know that should you agree to this, and you absolutely can say no if you don’t feel comfortable and we will look for a better guardian. Should you feel comfortable though and agree to this you will from that moment be my daughter in my heart no matter what we decide to do from that point out. Not only that, but you will be my Heir. Now, it is only fair that you are made aware that Nahele has asked me to marry him, and I have finally accepted. After I was freed from Albus’ meddling, several things changed for me and the distance that I felt like I had to keep between myself and Nahele was one of them. This means, that no only will I be your guardian and parental figure but so will he. So, it’s important that you take that into account. That being said, he is one of the best men that I have ever known in my life. His depth of patience and the amount of love that he has to offer amaze me every day. I cannot quite frankly think of a better man to be a father to you, but I understand if you are hesitant.”

“No, I’m not hesitant because of that,” Hermione said finally unable to remain quite any longer. “And… well, it’s a little weird to hear about a former life that I have no recollection of. Its not that I doubt you, I just… it’s weird is all. I suppose that it will be odd to suddenly be a Ravenclaw, but really that’s where it wanted to put me, but I begged it to sort me into Gryffindor because it seemed like the best house from the books that I had read. Knowing that I could be the heir to Ravenclaw though makes me feel ashamed to think that way, and also makes me question why I thought that. As to the guardianship and adoption, I would be honored to have you as my guardian, and Mr… I mean Nahele as well. Obviously, I don’t know him as well as I do you, but I look forward to learning as much about him as possible. As for the adoption, can we table that and talk about it next summer? That way we have time to learn more about each other before we make that decision?”

“Absolutely,” Minerva said with a smile. “Anything else pressing?”

“The bit about Harry and the Malfoys is confusing, but you are right. I feel like I need to see Harry immediately. He must be as confused as I am. I am very confused about a lot of things, and honestly I feel like I just need some quiet time and then maybe ask my questions tomorrow. I suppose, my most pressing concern though is what happens now? What happens to all my things? I know it may seem shallow but…”

“Not shallow at all, and all very good questions,” Ms. Aziz inserted as she re-entered the conversation. “Normally there would be a much more formal and lengthy process, but it was stressed to us that this situation be dealt with quickly and quietly unless we see any red flags that make us hesitate. Frankly, the affection that you and Minerva already share is obvious. So, I see no reason not to grant her guardianship request and approve Mr. Horn as a secondary guardian. As to your things, other than the furniture in your room, the Grangers are willing to let you take as many of your things as you want. They were quite frank in that they will not have another child, and don’t foresee any other children staying with them. Thus, they do not have a need for your things. I believe that Minerva has offered one of her house elves to come and pack your things, if you would like.”

Hermione immediately nodded, and Minerva gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before calling our for one of her house elves to join them. Immediately, the smallest female house elf that Hermione had ever seen popped in front of them wearing a tea towel kilt in the pattern of McGonagall’s clan tartan. The top was a nice white towel of some kind and she had cute shiny black shoes on with a bow tied around the top of her head.

“Hermione, this is Hel my personal house elf from my ancestral house, which is the House of Ross. Frig, this is Hermione… hmm. Rayan, whatever do we do about her name?”

“That would depend on Hermione,” Rayan offered, and the adults turned to look at Hermione who had been considering the question.

“I don’t think that I want to go by Granger any longer,” Hermione said after a long pause to consider how she felt about her current name. “Also, while I don’t feel any kinship to Marlene McKinnon, even though I was her, I feel like I should honor her. So, What if… Professor McGonagall, how would you feel if I changed my name to Hermione Marlene Ross? I know McGonagall is your last name, but to be honest, I don’t know as I am ready for the attention that would bring. Is… would you be ok with that?”

Hermione watched as her professor seemed to take a deep breath and looked to her fiancé before turning her attention back Hermione’s way. “I would be honored for you to use my House’ name as your last name, lass. Also, I think it’s ok for you to call me Minerva or Minnie when we’re not dealing with each other as student and professor or headmistress. Ok, Hel, I need you to go fetch a magical trunk from Castle Ross and then go up and pack all of Ms. Ross’ things. She will be taking everything in her room that is not furniture. If you have any questions, feel free to come ask her. She will be joining us as a member of the House of Ross and will soon be named as my heir. We will be signing paperwork today to make myself and Nahele her guardian. Oh, and can you pop into Malfoy Manor and ask Lord or Lady Malfoy if it is ok if we make a quick visit so that Hermione can see Harry? She is quite anxious to see him.”

“Very good Mistress Minnie! Hel will be getting right on that. The other house elves will be most excited to hear about yous decision! It will be nice to has a young witch in the castle again. I wills pop over to Malfoy Manor first and thens I will go get the trunk to packs the new Mistress’ things. Dos Mistress Minnie has a preference wheres Hel puts Mistress Hermione’s things?”

“I think the top two floors in the south tower, Hel,” Minerva offered after some consideration. It has a gorgeous view of the loch and it’s closest to the library. We will let her decide on decorating it though and have Thor create a list of appropriate female house elves to promote to Personal Attendant for Hermione. We will need to appoint one immediately. I would like someone with more experience, since my Heir has been raised in the muggle world and unfortunately Hogwarts has done a miserable job in recent decades in how we educate our students across all blood purity spectrums.”

“Yes, Minstress Minnie,” Hel promised with a nod. “Hel will sees to it right away. If theres is nothing else, she will go see to her duties now. Welcomes to the House of Ross Mistress Mione. We house elves look forward to serving yous!”

Hermione saw Minerva look towards the doorway and pull out her wand. By the time she looked that direction, she could see Mister Granger standing there waiting to enter as the privacy spell fell. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I had something I wanted to let Mione know. It came up in our conversation with Dewy and I thought it should be shared. Hermione has a trust fund from her Monnier grandparents waiting for her. Her mother and I had not discussed it with her yet because we didn’t think that she was old enough. Mother and father knew that Hermione was adopted, and honestly, mother kept insisting that she would be magical. I never understood why, but mother was very clear that the trust fund was Mione’s no matter what.”

Jacob then came fully into the room, and after an awkward pause in the middle of the room, headed to Minerva and handed her a manilla envelope that seemed to be full of something. “That is all the paperwork I have on it. I had a copy of a legal document to transfer the responsibility for it to someone else. I have signed off on it, and I will leave the person you entrust to run it until she’s of age to you. I… may I address Hermione for a moment, please?”

“I would say that is up to Hermione,” Minerva said primly and after a brief pause, Hermione nodded her acceptance. She then watched the man she’d thought to be her father warily as he came towards her, kneeling down in the floor in front of where she sat.

“Mione, I know that you must be upset right now, and I don’t blame you. I want you to know though that your mother and I loved you as much as we were able. Even after we discovered that you were magical, we were determined to do our best by you. Looking back I can see that we didn’t do a good enough of a job at that most of the time, which is certainly a reflection on us not you. You are a beautiful and intelligent young lady, and I hope whomever raises you from here on our is able to love you in the way that you deserve. I thank you for letting us love you as best as we could, and I wish you nothing but the best from here forward.”

“And mum?” Hermione couldn’t help but ask and Jacob sighed as his eyes fell to the floor.

“I’ve honestly never understood why your mother had such an issue with you being magical,” Jacob confessed. “She said that everything that needed to be said has been. I… I am sorry Hermione. Maybe she really never wanted children at all and I pressured her into it. I didn’t think I did but… now I am not sure about anything. I am sure right now that you are angry and confused and I can’t say as I blame you. Dewy advised us that after today we won’t have any contact with you. Elizabeth wanted to go with the option where we don’t remember you, and I felt like I needed to support her in that. I suppose that it is terribly selfish of us. I just… I hope that whomever raises you after does a much better job than us. Thank you for being the best daughter I could have hoped for. I suspect that as much as it hurts now, someday you will look back and see that this is the right thing to do. Goodbye. ‘Mione.”

Jacob Granger then stood and left the room without a backward glance. Hermione couldn’t stop the tears running down her cheeks. “I think that I would very much like to go see Harry now, if I may.”

The second that Hel popped in and said that Lucius Malfoy had given permission for Minerva, Nahele, and Hermione to visit, Minnie apparated the three of them to the gates of Malfoy Manor. As she walked up the long driveway, Hermione couldn’t help but wonder who exactly she was now, and when the pain would stop.