All belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling

19th September 1995

The Gryffindor table that morning was lively for the first time since Umbridge had arrived. Hermione was surrounded by her friends as they handed her present after present. She was just finishing her presents from her friends when the owls started to arrive. Her parents present as well as one from the Weasleys also arrived. She picked up her parents letter as she helped herself to pumpkin juice. As she began to read a piece of parchment fell out- it looked older than the letter in her hands. She picked it up not letting anyone see it. Her face had changed from a smile to a horrible shocked almost painful expression. Her hand was shaking as she laid down both pieces of paper. Harry and Ron waited for her to speak. When she sat there flattening out her skirt, Harry spoke up.

"Everyone gave her a bit of air, go on she can tell you what she got later." They all grudgingly went back to their breakfasts. Hermione finally spoke.

"It's my parents…well if I can call them that. I'm adopted." The boys looked at her in awe. "It says it here in both letters. They wanted to wait till I was sixteen, to protect me or some rubbish. Here read it for yourselves, don't read the first but the second one." She began to pick up her new gifts and headed towards the dormitory. Harry and Ron read the letter together.

Darling Hermione,

I have put writing this letter off for days now but you must have it. Your father and I absolutely adored you like we adored your big sister. We have due to our positions in the wizarding world been forced to give you up for your own protection. Know thought that if I could have kept you I would have, in a heartbeat. Your father felt exactly the same. We looked everywhere for the perfect adoptive muggle parents. The Grangers have hopefully brought you up into the lovely girl that we know you could be. Don't be angry at them for not telling you. It was due to your father and me begging them- blame us.
You may well have questions and if you do then I promise I will truthfully answer them. I will have been watching you and waiting for this moment. You must go after dinner amare aeternam tonight to the fourth floor. There will be a portrait of Godric Gryffindor riding a lion. Say amare aeternam- it means love eternal. I will be waiting there with your father.

Forever yours

mother

"Bloody hell!" Ron scowled. "Poor Hermione, that's an awful birthday surprise. Do you think she'll go tonight?"

"I don't know. I suppose she will". Harry looked it over again. "I guess we better go find her."

That night the boys walked with Hermione to dinner. She hadn't mentioned the letter all day. Ron rather sheepishly began to speak.

"So Hermione are you going to go tonight?" Harry held his breath. Their conversation had just been about the toad's punishment for him. Ron really knew how to put his foot in it, especially with Hermione and he wished he could have kept his mouth shut.

"I guess I have no choice. I mean they might be dead for all I know but im still curious. Don't you too wait up for me though, go see Hagrid or something." She sat down everyone wishing her another happy birthday before the feast began.

The walk to the room was not long. She had passed the painting before and so once the feast was over she walked down the corridor looking for any signs of someone else. This was a part of the castle very few walked through at night as it only acted as a route between classes. She walked thinking about who these people could be. There was two people that crossed her mind but she ignored it, the chances were far too slim to get her hopes up. She came to the painting, Godric smiling down at her. "amare aeternam", the painting swung forward just missing her to reveal a passage. She walked down it. She could hear two people arguing. They sounded familiar but she wasn't sure.

"You cannot expect me to put up with her for much longer. I have already told you how barbaric her teaching methods are. Even Alastor was better. Don't you dare look at me like that you insufferable.."

"Well my dear if I had my way then she would be gone. You know why she is here. Hopefully it'll blow over soon and she'll be gone before much more damage is caused."

Hermione decided to let the male voice finish his speech before knocking. She heard a familiar enter and saw her two professors coming to sit down on the sofa in front of the fire. They looked up at her, the witch's eyes glistening ever so slightly and the man gently stroking her hand. "hello my dear, hot chocolate?"

Hermione came further into the room still unsure about how to proceed before taking the cup handed to her. "It's you?" She could barely get anything else out.

"yes it is us." The woman patted the sofa and motioned for her to sit down and the older man went to sit in the arm chair giving his wife and daughter much needed space. "I suppose you have some questions?"

"Well yes professor McGonagall, what should I call you?" she had been rather tongue tied and this seemed like a safe bet.

"Well in class and school it shall remain professor McGonagall and the same with professor Dumbledore. Anywhere else you can call us whatever you want. Albus and Minerva, mother and father or mu-" She was cut off by her husband.

"No mother and father sounds far too severe. How about Ma and Da? It's what you called your parents Minerva and I'm sure that's what Lily said at one point."

"Wait, who is Lily? Is she my sister?" Hermione's gaze fell on her "mother".

"Yes she was." Minerva sighed, it was hard to talk about Lily. "We had her in 1960. She was put up for adoption too. We found a lovely muggle family who already had one daughter, Petunia. I luckily got to spend more time with her than I did with you. We got two months with her. Then of course she came to Hogwarts. We told her when she turned sixteen. She was upset that we had not told her sooner but she soon understood why. Your father had just become headmaster I had barely begun teaching. If we had kept her then the world would know we were married and it was just too dangerous. People would have used her. Then of course she married James and they had Harry. She was too young to become a mother but she was a natural. She met you before we gave you up and the look on her face when she held you. It was just before she became pregnant. Then Voldemort went after her and James because of some god awful-" She had stopped speaking fighting back the sobs that were bubbling up her throat. Hermione unsure of what to do reached out and clasped Minerva's hand.

"Now Minerva I think that's enough of Lily for tonight." His stern but soft gaze seemed to calm her. "We would Hermione highly appreciate you not telling Harry about this. He does not need to know until the time is right. Now maybe you would like to see some memories to do with you from over the years?"

The timid nod was enough for Albus to summon the dish that had been in the corner of the room for some time. He and his wife both came up to it waiting for Hermione to join them. "Now this vial contains every memory we have of you. We'll stay in for as long as you feel comfortable- when you're ready to leave just signal to myself or Minerva and we'll pull you out."

The image that appeared was of the room they were in now. The décor was the same and it seemed to be in the evening. Her mother had just entered from a door at the other side of the room that she hadn't seen. Her hair was down and she looked rather nervous. Her father came in moments later his hair slightly darker. He went up and embraced her. "So my dear what did Poppy say?"

She went and sat down on the sofa. "She said what we were both concerned about Albus. Whip that smile of your face. You promised I would never have to go through that again. You promised me. It's even worse now- Voldemort is going crazy. He's almost as bad as Grindlewald. There is no way we can even consider keeping this child." She was cradling her flat stomach as her husband came around and wrapped a slender arm around her. She began to sob so quietly as the memory morphed into another one. Hermione looked at her parents for a brief moment and saw her mother flattening out her dress trying to hold back the tears.

The next memory was one of her muggle parents and her birth parents. They were explaining the arrangements of her adoption by the looks of it. "We will hand over the baby after two days. We will leave you to fill in her birth certificate although we will create a wizarding one in case we have to take her into our care. Now as to telling the child they are adopted we would rather that the child could wait until the age of sixteen before finding out. We will write a letter and you can choose how you give it to the child. We had another baby nearly 18 years ago and did something similar and found it was the easiest and fairest way to tell our daughter. I really do hope this doesn't seem unreasonable?"

"No, not at all. You mentioned that he or she would be going to some sort of wizarding school?" Mr Granger asked insightfully, he found the couple in front of him, odd but nice all the same.

"Yes they will receive a letter in the summer before attending secondary school. A staff member usually gives it in person to the muggle born pupils." It was the raven haired woman who answered his question. She had remained rather quiet. "My husband and I tend to avoid giving letters out but I may deliver this one." The memory began to fade again.

The next one was in a white room. It reminded Hermione of the infirmary and when she saw a familiar face she knew that it must be the private room of Madam Pomfrey's office. She was walking with her father into the room. He was carrying a bunch of flowers towards a heavily pregnant Minerva. She was rubbing her back as he bent down to kiss her. "My dear you look simply ravishing." She let out a low moan. "I take it baby decided to make an entrance finally. She nodded swatting him as he laughed at her contorted face. "You know the pupils all feel awful for you getting the flu so early in the year. So do most of the staff."

Minerva's contraction had subsided for a brief moment. "I wish I didn't have to give her up after this. And yes I'm sure it's a girl. I just don't want it to be like it was with Lily. I wrote the letter before going to Poppy by the way- oooooh aaaarggghhh ALBUS…PERCIVAL…WULFRIC..BRIAN…DUMBLEDORE!" Minerva's screaming had alerted Poppy.

"Shush, shush dear, it'll all be over soon. Albus I suggest you wait outside- you know the drill". He left rather quickly not before whispering how sorry he was into his wife's ear.

The memory began to fade again but it came back to the same room. This time however Minerva was clutching a small pink bundle.

Hermione guessed this was her. Her mother was standing just behind her and gave her a gentle hug. "There you are, this one's my favourite."

Minerva was gently humming a lullaby to the baby. She began to tell the baby how much it was loved. "You sweetheart are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Yes you are. I will always love you darling- you are so loved already. Daddy said he would swim all of the worlds oceans for you. He came up with your name, thank god I stopped him with Jane as your middle name. Guess who's coming to see you today? Your big sister. She's called Lily and she's beautiful. Just as beautiful as you." There was a gentle knock at the door. "Come in".

Lily was beautiful. She came in right over to the bed wrapping an arm around her mother and instantly lighting up when she saw Hermione. "Ma, look at her, hello baby Hermione." Her husband James stood in the doorway. Hermione felt an instant pang of guilt. Here was Harry's parents. She could feel her mother holding her closer while Lily was there. It was a strange sensation and also the thought that Dumbledore and McGonagall were her parents. The scene stayed fixed for a moment as both of her parents looked on adoringly at their daughters together. It also maybe because of the next memory.

They came to her muggle parents house. Albus holding his wife and daughter. They were dressed in muggle clothes. He had on the most appalling flares that matched his purple shirt perfectly. Her mother looked far nicer in a sweater and long skirt. She looked as far from being pregnant as one could. She was carrying a small bundle close to her chest. They rang the doorbell and went inside. The door was closed behind them though. As Albus and Minerva came out, she saw Minerva wipe away a tear as Albus steered her towards their apparition point.

"Why did you alter that memory?" Her question had been directed at her father more.

It was her mother who answered it though. "Because dear I did not want to relive it. That was one of the worst moments of my life- giving you up. It was worse with you than with Lily because I had less time with you and I knew already how hard it was."

The next memory was one that Hermione recognised. "This was my first night at hogwarts-wait what's happening we're flying through the feast."

The image before her settled on the room they were in. Her parents were discussing her rather loudly. "She should know Albus. Don't you dare give me that line of well you'll get to spend plenty of time with her once she's been told. What about that promise and Lily? I got four years Albus. You didn't even let me keep Harry. I won't be able to tell Harry the truth either because it puts him in danger. He's all I have left of my daughter… of OUR daughter." Her famous Scottish temper carried on. "I have given you and this bloody school everything. I think it's time you gave me something. If you truly loved me you would let me tell the-"

"How can you ask that?" He was beginning to get angry. "Lily was my daughter too, do you not think I wanted to keep Harry? The reason you can't tell Hermione is because we agreed to let her have her childhood with her muggle parents. She needs it Minerva. Harry can't know yet because…well we have to wait until he is ready. I want to give you everything my dear but I can't. I know what you want most and telling Hermione and Harry will not bring Lily back. She will always be here my love." He had his hand rested on her chest just above her heart.

It was Halloween next. The feast that Hermione had missed due to her mood with the boys. Her parents were happily eating their dinner as Quirrell came in. As he uttered the words panic ensued. Her fathers voice rang out across the hall. Hermione found it strange watching her parents heading towards the dungeons.

"For goodness sakes, how on earth did a troll get into the dungeons Albus?" The professor was walking by his side as usual or rather striding as they made their way to the dungeons. They searched high and low. "Wait can you hear that?"

"Actually I can professor McGonagall. Everyone upstairs listen for any noise."

The sight that met her mother's eyes nearly caused her to have a heart attack. She had split off by herself from the group and headed along towards the grand hall again when she heard a loud crash. It took all of her self control to not run over and scoop up her daughter and grandson- Hermione could feel her mother's hug tightening once more- she looked on as she lost five points.

With that it faded and the next was towards the end of the year.

They were in the room again. "I wish you had owled me sooner."

"Albus I did. I just cannot believe those three managed it. It was madness. Harry could have died…I told you I had an iffy feeling about Quirrell. We need to keep a close eye on those three. Trouble just seems to find them."

"Yes it does .At least my dear they have each other. Harry will be fine I spoke to him today. I told him that it was Lily's love that saved him. He seemed to understand. I was ever so tempted to tell him. That I leave to you my dear. I am giving you that, I just hope it's enough."

As she kissed him in agreement the memory moved on to a day that Hermione could clearly remember herself.

"This was an awful day. Not as bad as giving you up or Lily's death but it was truly awful."

The infirmary was dark. Outside the moon shone. Two people were sitting by a bed though. She recognised the still figure in the bed as herself. Her mother was stroking her forehead gently. Her father holding her hand. "Albus why did it get her, she isn't a true muggle born."

"But my dear she is. She is down as being a muggle born on school records. As far as the wizarding world knows she is. She will be fine though- Pomona's mandrakes are nearly ready. Even if they take me away- everything will be all right."

"I don't want to see anymore please." She turned to look at the couple in front of her. They all came out of the pensive, some more gracefully than others. Hermione ended up on the floor.

"Do you understand Hermione?" Hermione looked at the woman in front of her. She saw what had made the professor cool and sometimes seem far too stern. She wasn't though. She had simply lost so much and been hurt unimaginably. She understood why she was so protective of Harry.

"Yes, I think I do. I mean it's a shock and I feel just all over the place but I suppose I could come around. It's strange to think of you as my parents, and that harry is my nephew. I have to keep this from him too. I suppose I shall have to live with you now?"

"No not if you don't want to. We spoke to your parents about it not long ago. We wondered whether you wanted to stay for Christmas since they're going skiing but you're not a massive fan of skiing are you?" Hermione saw that Minerva really did know a lot about her.

"How did you know that?"

"Your mother wrote me letters and sent pictures. You were such a gorgeous baby. I also would sneak visits. Your parents never saw me but you sometimes did. I would watch from the wall in my animagus form. Your father did not approve of such activities. I used to the same to Harry but I always found that more upsetting. I would often visit you after to make myself feel better about leaving the two of you with muggles. I will tell harry very soon dear- he was so devastated by Cedric's death. I just hope he can find peace. Now you'd better get some sleep- you have a double with me tomorrow."

"Wait one moment Hermione. Your mother has forgotten about your birthday present." Albus pulled out a square box. "You must remember dear, not a word to anyone." She gave him a hug his beard tickling her face. Minerva smiled seeing her husband soften instantly. When Hermione came over to her she purred slightly. Hermione gave her a quizzical look and then remembered her animagus form.

As the door shut behind their daughter, Albus and Minerva looked at each other. "She took it rather well don't you think my dear?"

"Yes I suppose she did. It's telling harry now. I just hope we're making the right decision."

Okay I never thought I would do this sort of fanfic and I think I might just extend it into a second chapter. I really hope I haven't gone past sane with this- it is a pretty major change to jk's wonderful work but I think I might try and keep it HBP and DH compliant. Please review!