Aurora was a mostly happy 14 year old teen. Though thought to be older by most who met her, she did not mind the title of bookworm. Though it seemed to bother her parents, her mother in particular. It was only last year that she found out that she had a much older sister. Her parents had been in their early 40's when they had her, so that really should not have been that much of a surprise. Though it was clear that there had been something bad happen; they did not want to speak of her. Aurora was no shrinking violet and had been persistent until they gave in and told her that she had done something they could not forgive. And they would say no more about it. Aurora had been blunt and told them that if her older sister was a criminal then tell her; they had been shocked and told her that was not what happened; but they still would not say anymore. Needless to say that made Aurora very curious but she could find out no more.
Her best friend in school, Louise Johnson, was equally interested when Aurora told her about it. They discussed it quite a bit, but in the end just accepted that they would not find out any more. Then a girl transferred into their school; her name was Victoria Longbottom. Pretty much a bookworm like the two of them; it had not taken long for them to bond. Then Louise's father got a job offer in Ireland and they moved away; Aurora was heartbroken. Luckily Victoria took up the slack and Aurora found that while she missed Louise a lot, Victoria filled the best friend roll quite well.
Aurora sensed that Victoria had some secrets; something to do with her family. That naturally after a while had Aurora telling her her family secret; the mysterious sister.
"So she was not a criminal but they basically disowned her?"
"That seems to be it; but I think there is a lot more there then they want to admit to; I think they did something as well that they are not proud of."
"So they had you to replace her?"
Aurora sighed. "I think so."
"And you do not even know her name?"
"I found a picture but no name on it. I managed to hide it so they do not know I have it."
"I would like to see it."
"I'll bring it tomorrow."
The next day she slipped the photograph into her purse; she had a feeling if her parents found it they would take it from her. Feeling like a fugitive or spy she slunk out and headed for Victoria's.
"Do you have it?"
"Here it is."
"Wow you look a lot like her. Outside of your hair color; your eyes are the same color and your face is close; and you look to be about the same size. Do you know if she is a bookworm as well?"
"I think so; that seemed to be something that bothered my mother over the years. I must remind her of my sister."
Victoria looked at her shrewdly. "When you can you are going to look for her."
"Yep."
A month later Victoria showed up at Aurora's without notice; plainly agitated.
"Can you get that picture of your sister?"
Puzzled, but knowing it must be important Aurora carefully got it out of her hiding place; a loose floorboard in her closet.
Aurora watched as Victoria looked at the picture and gasped; then pulled out what looked like a newspaper clipping and showed Aurora both; they were the same!
Aurora stared at the newspaper photo; it was no doubt the same person yet she looked to be little older then her photo which she knew had to be around 15 years old, maybe more.
"Maybe that is her daughter; she is too young to be my sister."
Victoria took a deep breath. Then she looked at Aurora. "Is there any way you can find out her name?"
Aurora thought, then made a decision. "Come on."
She went out of her bedroom down the hall to the addition that connected the house with the dentist office her parents operated. It was a Sunday and her parents were out with some friends; Aurora had access to the keys and went into the office and went to the patient files.
Victoria looked on then realized what Aurora was doing. "Of course; your parents must have worked on her teeth at one time."
Aurora finished going through the files marked 'Former Patients.' "Nothing here."
Victoria put her hand on Aurora's shoulder and pointed at another file.
Aurora widened her eyes then narrowed them in anger and opened the file; after only a few moments she pulled one out. " I guess its because she is dead to them." As she looked at the file marked 'Deceased Patients'.
Victoria looked over her shoulder and gasped. Aurora looked at her; then looked at the file marked "Hermione Jane Granger."
Back in the safety of Aurora's room she looked at her friend. "Its time to tell me Victoria."
Victoria had been very quiet. She sighed and looked at Aurora. "Yes it is and you have a right to know; she is your sister. Can you get away next Sunday?"
"Yes."
"My uncle is coming to visit and he knows her."
Aurora was very tense as she knocked on the door of Victoria's house. Clearly she had been waiting as she opened the door and whisked her down the hall to the living room where a young man of maybe 25 or so was sitting on the sofa. He was of medium height and build; had brown hair and looked kind of bookish.
"Uncle Neville I would like you to meet Aurora Granger; she is Hermione's sister."
Neville Longbottom looked at the young girl in shock; it was as if time had been reversed and He was back at Hogwarts in his third year; and was looking at Hermione Granger. Outside of the color of the hair they could almost be twins at that age.
Aurora saw the shock on his face and was frightened. What had her sister done? What was she?
"I am sorry miss Granger; its just you look exactly like Hermione at her age; you could almost pass as twins."
Dazed but happy, Aurora blurted out what had been on her mind for over a year:
"Mr Longbottom do you know why my parents disowned their daughter?"
Neville sighed. Just how much to tell her? The Wizarding world needed to keep a low profile in the muggle world; he visited his squib brother only a couple of times a year. Yet this was Hermione's sister and she deserved to know about Hermione; and Hermione deserved to know her sister.
"Your sister protected her parents in the only way she could; and they have never forgiven her for that. I know she regrets what she did only because they have for all intents and purposes disowned her."
Now Aurora was really puzzled. "How did she protect them?"
Neville sat and thought. Victoria knew a little about the wizarding world but not much; just a few basics. She had given him the torn out picture from the Daily Prophet; it was from an article about Hermione and how she would soon be the New Minister of Magic. He made a decision that he knew he would not have been able to do 10 years ago; it had taken him a long time to grow out of his cautious and indecisive nature.
"There is a world out there that 99.9% of most people on this planet do not know about; and Hermione is a very important person in that world…"
It took several hours but finally the whole story was out; at the end Neville had handed Aurora the article; it was very flattering towards Hermione but Neville told her that it really left a lot out; Hermione had done a lot more then was described there.
That night Aurora laid in bed thinking. Her sister lived in a world of magic; and she had been one of those that had fought a terrible war to protect it; and from what Neville had said, actually had been the brains behind winning that war. And she had then gone and done a lot more afterwards. She was married and had 2 children; a third on the way; she would be this Minister of Magic once she had the third baby and some time afterwards. She was 35 years old; but she looked like she was maybe 23 or so. What had blown her mind was that Neville told her that powerful witches and wizards could live to be 200. Hermione was apparently considered the most powerful witch in many years. She was married to a very rich and powerful wizard; Lucius Malfoy. What was really interesting was that until late in the war he had been on the other side and actually fought in a battle against her once. And the reason her parents had disowned her was that she had used her magic to make them forget who they were and her and move to Australia. Neville had been very clear that he was certain that if Hermione had not done it, these Deatheaters would have killed her parents. They had never apparently believed it was that big a risk and had not forgiven her for what she had done. Aurora could kind of see why that had happened; but to disown their own child for trying to protect them? Aurora just found that hard to accept.
Jane Granger was looking up at the ceiling that night; her husband rolled over and reached for her; then noticed her looking at the ceiling and recognized it; he had had the same one for years.
"Honey, it does no good to brood about it."
"What is the point? What is done is done. Is that what you mean?"
James Granger sighed. "I guess. Like you I feel we need to do something but like you I am terrified that she wants nothing to do with us. Though she did send those birth announcements to us."
Jane Granger sighed. "I have two grandchildren that I will never see. And there is no one to blame but myself. Even if she exaggerated the danger what she did she did because she loved us; we did what we did out of anger and fear; fear of her power. "
"Aurora is every bit as determined at her sister; one day she will go out looking for her."
"But she will have no chance at all of finding her; and I am not sure whether to be happy or sad about that. She SHOULD know her sister; but I am afraid that once she does she will never be able to understand why we did what we did."
"Why should we when for years we do not understand why we did it? To disown our own child for trying to protect us; and to not acknowledge or try and contact her for 15 years? To refuse to tell her own sister about her; I wonder what right we have to call ourselves civilized? We are so proud to consider ourselves modern Liberals who are supposed to show tolerance and understanding to those different from us; yet we have turned our backs on our own child. We are hypocrites and cowards."
Aurora could not take it any longer; she had to talk to her parents. She got up and padded her way to their bedroom and quietly opened the door.
Jane looked at her daughter; she was so like Hermione in so many ways. "Honey what is it? Did you have a bad dream."
Aurora took a deep breath. "I know about my sister now; Victoria has a relative who is a wizard."
James and Jane Granger gasped and held each other; it looked like it was time to pay the piper.
It was just dawn and after hours of talking James had told his daughter to try and get some sleep; it was a good thing the Dentist Office was closed on Mondays and Sundays.
It was almost noon when Jane Granger walked into the kitchen and found her youngest daughter quietly eating serial. It was summer holiday so she did not have school; she had two weeks before the new term started.
James followed soon after; it was a very quiet meal for all three of them.
Aurora finished her cereal and put her bowl in the sink. Then she turned and faced her two parents.
"I want to meet my sister."
Jane sighed. James put down the newspaper. "Its not that easy honey; they keep themselves separate and we could not find them. Their magic hides them and their homes and villages. People like us who have no magic cannot see them."
"Mr Longbottom explained that. But don't you have a number where you can call their Ministry?"
Jane hung her head. "I threw it out years ago. I have no idea how to contact them at all."
Aurora slowly nodded. " I kind of thought that- so I asked Mr Longbottom and he gave me a number. He said to call there and identify yourselves as Hermione Grangers parents and they will talk to you."
James reached over and took his wife's hand. "Its time we tried; at the least Hermione will want to know her sister even if she wants nothing more to do with us."
Aurora saw just how torn up her parents were. "Mr Longbottom seemed to think that there is a chance that she will not reject you; from what I gather she has forgiven her husband for trying to kill her years ago. If she can do that then there seems to be hope."
Jane Granger squared her shoulders and straightened up. It was time to try and end this stupidity; she just hoped her daughter was more forgiving then her own mother had been.
Arthur Weasley looked up as his assistant came in; clearly a little agitated.
"Sir the Department of Muggle relations is asking to see you; the Department Head says its urgent."
The Head of the Department of Muggles of the United Kingdoms Ministry of Magic was somewhat tense. But then again Arthur could not blame him; this was a sensitive subject since it involved the next Minister of Magic.
"Hermione's parents wish to see her."
Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was very unexpected. Hermione's parents had basically disowned her for obliviating them and sending them to Australia for a year to protect them from Deatheaters. Arthur personally agreed that Hermione had had to do that; they had not wanted to leave England and he had no doubts that Deatheaters would have found them; Voldemort would have enjoyed torturing and killing the parents of one of the Golden Trio.
"Have them brought to the ministry."
Aurora was on pins and needles; the Ministry had called back and arrangements were being made to take them to the Ministry to meet the current Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley. Jane had told her that they had been Hermione's second family while she was at the magical school called Hogwarts. Jane with some bitterness told her that she probably did consider them her parents now.
They were brought to a building in central London by Taxi. There in an empty room they had been told to hold on to each other and close their eyes. Then with a feeling like being flown through the air but not leaving their feet they were in another empty room. Then the door opened and a middle age man of medium height and gentle bearing came through.
" Mr and Mrs Granger and Miss Granger I am Arthur Weasley; Minister of Magic and a very close friend of Hermione."
Arthur could barely take his eyes off of Aurora Granger; virtually a twin to Hermione at that age. This was going to be very interesting. He just hoped Hermione was able to forgive her parents; this split had gone on much too long. He had been told by her that she had sent the birth announcements through muggle mail to them of her children; but had never gotten a reply.
Aurora instinctively liked and trusted Mr Weasley; and decided that she had to know some things.
"Mr Weasley do you think Hermione was justified in what she did?"
"Yes."
Jane Granger took a deep breath. "Were we really in that much danger?"
"Mrs Granger, I personally have no doubt that if you had stayed in England you would be dead now. Voldemort would have taken great pains and gone to great lengths to kill you to try and hurt Hermione and weaken her. He knew how important she was to the Order of the Phoenix and the war against him."
James Granger closed his eyes in pain; Jane bowed her head and started to cry. Aurora hugged both her parents and felt tears coming to her own eyes.
James Granger sounded much older then he looked. "We felt that she was exaggerating the danger and just wanted to show off how powerful she was. It scared us and we reacted in anger. We were supposedly the adults and she was barely more than a child; just 17. Yet she was clearheaded enough to take action to protect us and we were so childish we disowned our only child. We should have tried to fix this years ago when we finally admitted our mistake; but we were so afraid she would reject us we did nothing."
Arthur felt a great deal of pity for them; they clearly had suffered and regretted their hasty decision. Molly had been very angry for a long time about it; even when Arthur gently reminded her that she was very good at holding a grudge for a long time as well.
Aurora took a deep breath. "Could we just go to her home? I think we need to get this done without thinking any more; or let her think about it and maybe decide to say no. "
Arthur thought hard about this; Hermione was so close mouthed about her parents he had no real good idea how she felt; yet he knew she had sent announcements of the births of her children to them. He decided that perhaps this was the time to take some risks. She had just had her third child a week ago; they were settling down now. Next month she would be the new Minister.
Arthur flood them to the Main Library of Malfoy Manor; it was a large room and right now he was willing to bet that Hermione was with her child in the nursery; that would give him the chance to find her and talk to her.
All three were stunned at the Library; it would have done credit to many good sized towns; and that this was a private Library was astonishing; and it spoke of the Malfoy Wealth. Jane looked at all the books and thought that it was no wonder Hermione had forgiven Lucius Malfoy for trying to kill her at one time.
Aurora loved books and there were so many here; many just like she would find at school or one of the local libraries; and many that would never be found there. There were rows of books that were clearly about magic. She began to wander the aisles.
Arthur got up to the nursery and went in the open door to find Lucius holding his youngest daughter Victoria. James, his son with Hermione and just turning 4 was with him and watching with big eyes. Next to him was their oldest child, Anne, who was six. Lucius looked up and saw Arthur and his eyebrows jumped.
"Lucius, where is Hermione?"
"She just went down to the library to get a book on childhood diseases; she wants it nearby."
Arthur groaned.
"What is it?"
"Hermiones parents are in the Library; they want to see her and I brought them here without warning since I figured that Hermione might be unwilling to see them; this has gone on long enough."
Lucius shook his head. "She is going to be furious; but I agree that it has gone on long enough."
Hermione frowned. Now where was that book? She was sure it was on this row. She moved down the row, checking the titles. Then she heard someone moving down the next row. Who could that be?
Aurora turned down the next row not really watching where she was going until she bumped into someone.
Hermione reached for and kept the young girl from falling; then held her and was stunned at what she saw; someone who could be her twin, if some years younger. For a moment she just stared.
Aurora stared at her older sister; she looked in her early 20's at most; she wore jeans and a tshirt not the Wizarding Robes. And she was clearly shocked; then her eyes grew large and she whispered.
"Sister?"
Aurora for a moment could not speak; she nodded then whispered herself.
"Aurora."
Hermione looked at her younger sister then grabbed her in a huge hug and just held her.
Aurora returned the hug of her older sister and just stayed there; she felt like she was home for some reason.
Jane and James were in the main part of the Library just looking at all the shelves when they heard someone coming towards them. They turned and were stunned to see Aurora and Hermione walking towards them hand in hand.
Aurora was glowing; and Hermione was smiling ever so slightly. She stiffened and then her face became a mask as she spotted her parents.
Jane and James saw that and their hearts dropped; she had never acted like that before and there could be only one reason.
Aurora looked from her sisters set face to the sad but hopeful looks on her parents faces.
"Mom, Dad, Hermione. You need to get this over; mistakes were made on both sides. Hermione you should have told them what you were going to do and told them to either leave England or you would do it. Mom, Dad, you should have listened to her when she told you how dangerous it was. And you should never have for all intents and purposes disowned your own daughter and ignored her for 15 years."
Hermione listened to her sister and then closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her magic in control; it was hard to do when she was agitated; and she was so powerful things happened if she didn't. Arthur told her only half joking that there was a team in the Accidental Magic department specifically dedicated to her.
Jane looked at her older daughter and could see her trying to control herself; James saw the same thing and wished he could say something but he could not.
Aurora felt something; she could not describe it but it seemed like lightning or electricity or something like that; it was coming from her sister. Then her eyes opened wide as she realized it was magic; Her sister was trying to keep control, she realized dazedly. But more than that she could feel something inside her responding to it; as if seeking it out.
Hermione took a deep breath and relaxed as her control took over and her magic settled down; then she felt something else. Keeping herself centered she sought the feeling; it was magic and it was close. It felt familiar and for a moment she thought one of her children was about to enter the library; but that was not it. She had always had the very rare ability to sense magical persons nearby; it had saved her life on more than one occasion. This was very close; faint and yet the feeling that there was much more there. Then she opened her eyes and realized it was coming from her sister.
Aurora was staring at her sister as she opened her eyes and looked at her; she still felt like something was calling her but it felt like it was leashed in.
"I can feel you."
Jane and James mouths dropped open. Aurora had never shown anything like Hermione had; there had never been any hints she had magical ability.
Aurora trembled. She had wondered why she seemed to have no magical gift while her sister was so powerful. Neville had explained about squibs; but she seemed to even lack that faint ability. But her sister seemed to feel something.
Hermione thought very hard; then taking Aurora's hand moved down the row and to the next one; her parents following.
Hermione remembered a book from years ago; where was it; there!
Aurora watched her sister pull out what looked like a very old, thick and heavy book and move over to a small table nearby, set it down, and opened it. She motioned Aurora to sit next to her and then to her parents to sit across from them. She quickly leafed through the book and stopped at a page; then slowly turned it to the next one and read it once; then again. Then she sat back and looked at Aurora.
"You have magic but it has been locked up; only by meeting someone of magical ability of your own blood can it be unlocked; that is why you felt nothing until today. Its very rare; even in Pureblood families; its virtually unheard of in muggle born families of course. It will remain locked unless I do a spell; its uncertain how much power you will have; you could be very powerful or very weak or somewhere in the middle."
Jane and James looked at each and held each others hands. History was repeating itself; they knew without a doubt that Aurora was going to that same world as her sister.
Arthur, James and Anne with Lucius carrying Victoria came into the Library.
Hermione went to Lucius and took Victoria and turned to her parents, with her two other children at her side.
"Mom, Dad, meet your grandchildren."
An hour later they were sitting in the dining room over a light meal as Hermione, Lucius and Arthur talked about Aurora. For a child to come into their magic at this relatively late date presented a problem; it happened so rarely that there was no set procedure. Aurora would have to be taught control and so much else; it frankly would require private teaching as Hogwarts was not set up to handle such cases since they were so rare.
Jane and James were fussing over their grandchildren. Aurora was sitting back and watching that while listening to her sister and her husband and her friend talk about her magic. Aurora had already told everyone that she wanted her magic freed; and while her parents had looked sad at that they had not protested.
Hermione and the others had come to a decision that she would perform the spell the next morning. Jane and James had to go back to open the office; they would reschedule for the rest of the week. It would take a while to teach Aurora the basic control she would need; her private tutoring would start immediately. Hermione would start it and when she started working again in a few weeks Lucius would take over.
Amazingly the tension between Hermione and her parents had quickly disappeared with the concern about Aurora. They had tacitly agreed to talk about it at some future date.
Hermione had owled Harry and asked him to come over and bring Molly and Ginny. She wanted them to meet Aurora.
Harry and the others were there within the hour; Molly recognized Jane and James and immediately raised her hackles; Hermione saw this and moved to her.
"Molly we agreed to talk later to try and fix that problem; but another came up."
"Harry, Ginny, Molly. Meet my sister Aurora. She was magically locked. Tomorrow I will free her magic."
Hermione and Aurora were out in the Gardens of Malfoy Manor. They needed a space clear and open for what Hermione was about to do. She had gone over it several times to make sure she had it memorized.
Aurora was nervous and a little scared; this was so incredible! To be able to do magic!
Hermione had never concentrated so hard on a spell in her life; this was wandless magic; it drew from the earth not from herself; and that made it harder to control.
From a little distance Lucius and Harry watched; Molly and Ginny were inside with the children. This had been done so rarely over the centuries that there was very little outside of that very old book from the early middle ages.
Hermione raised her hands and began the chant:
"Of sky and Earth; Moon and Stars; Free what has been held… "
Aurora had her eyes closed as she sat upon the ground in a relaxed position. As her sister went through the chant she could begin to feel a power grow inside her.
Hermione neared the end, she could feel the magical essence of her sister stronger and stronger.
"… free all and free will; SO MOTE IT BE!"
Aurora felt impowered and yet weak; her body shivered and shook as what had been locked up was freed.
Lucius and Harry felt the power of Hermione's chant down to their bones; she had always been powerful; but this seemed to surmount anything they had ever felt her do before.
Hermione went silent and slowly lowered her hands; she felt very tired. But she also felt the presence of her sister. She smiled; it had worked.
Aurora took a deep breath and slowly stood; a little unsteady and Hermione put her arm around her and hugged her close.
"Welcome to the Wizarding world, Aurora!"