Chapter 1: Telling Hermione

Hermione Jane Granger was an only child who grew up with a loving mother and father. Today was September the 19th and her 18th birthday. She was getting ready for presents and cake and a day with her family. Hermione decided that today she would get up early and jump into the shower. After showering she put on a jumper and headed to her room. Upon entering she found letters from Ginny and Harry but none from Ron; she didn't expect to either. Harry and Ginny wrote that she would get her presents when they returned to school in September. After reading her letters she wrote back that she would see them when the new term started.

Hermione left her room to go downstairs, reaching the front room having been bouncing all the way. She took a look into the front room to see, if her parents were there. Not being able to find them she moved to the kitchen. She found them sitting at the kitchen island talking but suddenly stopping when they heard her.

Her parents, Dan and Jane Granger, were smiling at her. Hermione's middle name came from Jane Granger, because when they had adopted her she had only had a first name. Hermione was Greek in origin and meant Messenger or Earthy.

Hermione: Good morning Mummy and Daddy.

There were quite a few presents waiting for the birthday unwrapped lots of quills, new clothes, a bracelet, sweets and some chocolate. After opening her presents her dad asks her to sit down.

Dan Granger: Hermione, princess. Can you sit down a moment, please, there's something that we have to tell you. It's important because you are now 18.

Hermione: Okay, this sounds serious, Daddy. What do you have to tell me?

Jane Granger took over the conversation before her husband could talk to their daughter about.

Jane Granger: Hermione, my little one, there is no easy way of putting this, so I'm just going to tell you truthfully and honestly right now. When you were just one year old you were left at an adoption agency, where your father and I went to, to adopt a baby. I'm sorry that we didn't tell you before your 18th birthday.

Hermione: WHAT? How could this be? It doesn't make any sense.

Dan Granger: Princess, we don't know how this happened but we are very lucky to have you as a daughter, even if you aren't really our biological daughter, we love you just the same. Your real parents left pictures and a letter for you to receive when you are 18. It explains why they did what they did. They put it into your car seat carrier when they dropped you off at the agency, saying that the adopting parents were to show it to you when you became 18.

Mrs. Granger handed her a small box with pictures and a letter.

Jane Granger: Here are the pictures and the letter, if you want to look at it.

Confused and upset Hermione struck out at the Grangers.

Hermione: Don't call me Princess. I'm not yours in the first place. My name is Hermione! Not princess, not my little one, just HERMIONE!"

Looking at the small wooden container she knew, that her parents had only been trying their best.

Hermione: Thank you for the box.

After calming down a little, Hermione placed the box on the kitchen table. Upon opening it she saw pictures and a letter in an envelope. She took the pictures so she could look at them. The first picture showed a beautiful lady in a dress robes with a small infant in the lady's arms, the baby girl looked no more than one year old. Hermione smiled slightly and put the first picture back in into the box and went to look at the next one. This one looked like it was taken at a Hospital, at the bottom of the picture was written "Baby Girl: Born Sept 19, 1979".

There were four pictures all together: 1) The beautiful lady and the baby at the hospital; 2) The same beautiful lady and the same baby at home; 3) A picture of two small children with a very handsome man standing in a backyard with a pool, playground and lots of flowers; and 4) a family when the baby was just one year old. On the back of the picture it said "The Zabini Family, Dean (Father), Allie (Mother), Haylie (First daughter), Blaise (First Son), and Hermione (Second Daughter).

After looking at all the pictures she put them back in to the box for safe keeping and took out the letter to read. It was addressed to her. She tore the envelope open and retrieved the note from within.

To our lovely princess

If you are reading this letter, it is your 18th birthday.

This letter will tell us when you are 18. It also lets us know

when you are ready to come home to your real family. I know that

it must be very hard to understand and I hope you don't think about

it too much, because if I do know you, you will just like I would.

Your father and I are very sorry that we had to leave you at an

adoption agency, but it was for the best. We knew that it would keep

you safe from all the evil and you would grow up on the right side not

the wrong side. If we would have kept you, you might of ended up with

the most powerful wizard of all times and turned evil. This wizard

wanted to take you away from us because you have special gifts that

he could have used against the light side. We do regret our decision

sometimes, because we should have been able to

protect you, if we could protect our other two children and we will always

be sorry for that mistake.

Now to your gifts, they are. The gift of healing people

when they are wounded. The gift to make things blow up and start fire

with your hands and the gift to move things with your beautifully smart

mind. And of course the gift of being a witch and the possibility to visit Hogwarts.

Now that you are old enough to control your powers you can start training with your father

to keep your gifts in control at all times to help the light side of

the wizarding community. We are so happy and so proud of you that you

are doing so well in school. Yes, the Headmaster has kept us up-to-date

with all the things that happen to you and that you do. We are so

happy to have you come back into our lives finally, it's been too long

of a wait. Your whole family misses and loves you so much

and cares for you a ton. Your brother and sister have missed you when

they were growing up. They still remember you when you were a baby, little

Haylie used to help me change your dippers and feed you and Blaise and

you would play together; you're the same age but were born in different months. His birthday is

October 31st, Halloween, and you were born in September you're probably wondering

how that is possible. Well, you were born early, you two were suppose to be twins, but you

being stubborn had to come out in September while your brother stayed in

until October. But enough about that they just can't wait to meet you

again. We shall be there shortly to collect you and bring you home to your

real family. To have you back in the real world, Princess, will be so amazingly

exciting. You belong in the wizarding world with your family and not in a

muggle world because you are not muggle, you are a pureblood witch.

Love always yours,

Mother and Father

Zabini

After reading the letter Hermione put it back into the box and closed it. Pointing her wand to the box, casting the "Colloportus" charm she sealed it so that others couldn't open it. She grabbed her box while tears rolled down her eyes. Realizing her parents were just trying to protect her from Voldemort, she loved them for that, because it showed their love for her even though it might have been the wrong decision to put her up for adoption. She ran from the kitchen all the way up the stairs to her bedroom. Falling hard on the bed and burying her head into her pillows, she cried really hard. Mrs. Granger followed Hermione up the stairs and went to comfort her but Hermione pushed her away.

Jane Granger: I'm so sorry, princess...

Hermione: DON'T CALL ME PRINCESS! I'm not yours.

Jane Granger: You have to understand when I say we never meant to hurt you like this. We love you so much. There's a reason why we had to adopt instead of conceiving as I could not get pregnant because something happened to me before I wanted to have a child and it left me unable to get pregnant even if I tried to.

Hermione: NO! You still could have told me long before today, but you chose not to and therefore it's your fault you are in this mess!

Jane Granger: I know that we should have told you but we couldn't. We were so scared of losing you to your real parents and that you would leave when you found out about this that we had to keep it a secret until now.

Hermione: GET OUT, LEAVE! I want to be left alone until my parents arrive; I need to think this over.

Jane Granger: Okay, Hermione. Just remember that your father and I are here for you, if you need us.

Mrs. Granger got up off Hermione's bed and left the room. She heard Hermione get up and slam the door shut and then casting another spell "Colloportus" in order to lock the door so no one could get in for the time being. So Mrs. Granger walked down the hall to the stairs, returning to the kitchen where her husband was waiting for her.

Dan Granger looked at his wife and smiles sadly.

Dan Granger: I'm sorry dear that this is happening all over again. I wish it was different.

Jane Granger: I know sweetie but it isn't, it's all the same. I just hope she chooses us.

Dan Granger: I know you wish that, but it is Hermione's choice which family is she going to stay with.