The giant clock tower struck the hour, three deep chimes ringing out across the grounds and up into the library. A solitary brunette witch looked up from her book as the clock bellowed the three o'clock hour. Yawning softly, she began to close the book when the top of the next page caught her eye. Family Lineage of Supposed Muggleborns.

Curiosity got the better of the young witch and she opened the book again, reading the directions at the top of the page. A small frown creased her brow as she took a letter opener from her small bag, pricking her thumb. Three drops of blood fell onto the mostly blank parchment and dissolved into the page. The directions at the top faded and the paper ever so slowly turned pink.

"T-that's….. impossible…" she muttered to no one in particular as she stood, closing the book with a snap and grabbing her bag from the table. Book and bag in hand, the third year Gryffindor took the all too familiar path to the Hospital Wing, opening the creaking doors to be met by Madam Pomphrey and Professor Snape in deep discussion. Waiting patiently for the professor and healer to finish talking, the girl sat on a bed, gripping the book tightly. It took several minutes before the professor turned to her, sneering. He stood still, his business in the hospital wing clearly not done, while Madam Pomphrey came over.

"What is it dear? You look healthy to me." The girl handed the book to the medi witch, letting it fall open to the now deep-red page with spindling writing on it. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Hermione Granger looked at the two adults before her.

"That page is sealed with my blood and says I'm adopted. I want to verify the results." The sallow professor arched an eyebrow and Madam Pomphrey paled as she read the page.

"S-Severus….. take her to the forest, now. I'll go get the boy. We were right. All these years, we've been right!" The potions professor's eyes widened and skimming the book page, turned to Hermione.

"Come, Miss Granger. There's little time, and you must be kept safe." Without another word, he set the book alight despite Hermione's protests and dragged her outside of the wards of the castle, down the stairs, and all the way down to the edge of the forbidden forest. "I know you have many questions, Miss Granger, and I assure you they will be answered. For now, satisfy yourself with the knowledge that you have a twin brother, and that you both are the Dark Lord's children."

Hermione's rational mind screeched to a halt as Professor Snape spoke. Mechanically, she began to shake her head, slowly at first, then faster as she began to hyperventilate. The potions professor grabbed her shoulders, fixing her with a glare. Hermione stilled, her expression one of a rabbit confronted by a wolf, and she seemed to barely breath.

"Miss Granger, calm yourself. You know the beginnings of occlumency—I've seen the book in your bag, foolish girl, don't give me that look—use it to clear your mind." He conjured a chair and pushed her into it gently. "Sit, calm yourself. When Madam Pomphrey arrives we'll be leaving and you'll need all your wits." The thirteen-year-old girl nodded, knowing her professor was right and she began to clear her mind, organizing her thoughts in the same way one organizes a filing cabinet.

Several minutes passed and she found herself to be eerily calm. Without warning, the professor's head snapped up. Hermione followed his line of sight to see Madam Pomphrey and a raven-haired teen arriving. Before Hermione had time to identify the boy, Professor Snape grabbed her arm and she experienced the awful sensation she knew was apparition. Landing on a couch, the sallow man then took off, barking an order to stay put over his shoulder as the door slammed behind him. After finding her bearings, the winded witch's curiosity got the better of her once again and she turned to find out who her brother was. Her heart leapt as she found herself staring into the killing curse green eyes of a boy she knew all too well.

"Harry…."

a/n: hey guys, I only just realized my first chapter didn't format when I posted it, sorry about that! I've fixed it. I wanted to also let everyone know, whether you like my story or not to PLEASE leave a review. If you hate the story, PM me with why or what I've done wrong. I've been writing on and off for about 5 years but I'm still not great. I'm always looking to improve and sometimes I just can't see it. The author 5 Minutes 2 Midnight is my roommate (weird how I found another writer by chance, huh?) and occasional beta, but she's not ~really~ in the fandom so she misses a LOT of my mistakes, writing them off as fandom things. Don't be shy to PM or review me with what I'm doing wrong. Thanks much!
Oh and before I forget, Disclaimer! I do not own any of the characters, places, and themes your recognize in this story. All credit goes to J.K Rowling, I'm just misusing and abusing her characters! ;) Have a sunshiny day~