6 August 1996
Morning had come quickly for Hermione. Along with morning, an uneasy feeling came over her. Stretching and wiping her eyes, Hermione laid the book she fell asleep with on the bed table before checking to see if Ginny was yet awake. Finding herself in luck, the ginger was still sleeping, Hermione went to her trunk and found an outfit for Gringotts, a dark green crop top and skirt set her mother had bought her earlier that summer. It was fitted and had lace trimmings of black and subtle white threading. She hated how it reminded her of Slytherin colors, but her mother insisted, and she never turned down her mother. To be honest with herself, she found she liked the way it fitted her and made her curves more noticeable. Changing into the outfit, Hermione packed her trunk with her bed clothes, book, and anything else she might be forgetting before sneaking out to find something for breakfast.
Grimmauld Place was silent, as no one was yet awake. Hermione peered into Harry's and Ron's room finding Harry's bed empty. Figuring he was already downstairs, Hermione crept silently down to the kitchen. Just before she made the last few steps to the kitchen, she heard voices from the cellar. Deciding she was going to investigate, she went as far as she dared, which was half-way down, before standing still.
"Remus, you can't take them today. Dumbledore has asked for their presence at the meeting this afternoon," the woman's voice pleaded with Remus.
"Give Dumbledore my regrets, but I promised these kids. I cannot turn my back on them like that. I will give them the option to remain behind, but that is the best I can do. Dumbledore knew of these plans before he called the meeting," Remus's tone was harsh, "Now, I must be getting upstairs, I told Harry and Hermione to be ready early. Is there anything else?"
No other sounds were heard and Hermione took that as her cue to hurry up the stairs. Turning the corner, she bumped into Harry and barely caught herself before noticing that he was preoccupied. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said quietly. He nodded before turning and entering the kitchen.
"Hermione, who was talking down there?" he asked cautiously.
"Remus and some woman. I am not sure who, their voice was too quiet. But Dumbledore wants us here later, not in Diagon Alley".
"I know, I overheard that last night. He is going to cast anti-apparition jinxes and anti-floo jinxes on the house at half past seven. If we want to leave after that, we will need to walk a mile before we can apparate or floo, but it would be pointless. Dumbledore, also, has Aurors coming to watch the place at the same time. Which means we have an hour before we won't be able to leave," he looked at his watch for confirmation. It had been a gift from Arthur for his birthday.
"Remus wants to play along with Dumbledore, I suspect to keep him from noticing anything different. We will have a choice to go with Remus or stay. Just make the right one and make it look like you are dying to go. We will be safe soon," she finished her sentence in a hushed tone as she heard the door to the cellar creak open. Three pairs of feet came up the stairs, Remus entered first, followed by Arthur and Molly.
"Good morning," Remus greeted Harry and Hermione, "before we go, I need to inform you of an Order meeting you are both invited to this afternoon, if you so wish to join that instead of Diagon Alley".
"Morning, Remus. As much as I want to be part of the meeting, I have had my heart set on buying the newest potion books and there was that new fiction book about a goddess betraying her own kind for the sake of a child she barely knew, that I was dying to pick up. Please, Remus, tell me you are still going to allow me to join you in Diagon Alley?" Hermione's face portrayed her words well and she knew Arthur and Molly were convinced of her performance when they both noticeably sighed.
"Dumbledore won't like this, Remus!" Molly growled before storming into the pantry to find suitable food for breakfast.
"I am with Hermione. I don't want to risk Malfoy getting that new broom. It is the only one Diagon Alley will be getting. I need to get that before he does! It comes in later this morning. I know Ron will fill me in later. Besides, I can talk to Dumbledore when we get back," his confidence was obvious, as was the jealousy of Malfoy getting the broomstick he wanted.
"It's settled then. We will go into Diagon Alley and try to make it back in time," Remus's definitive response left no room for arguing.
"Alright, I suppose it is fine then. I will talk to Dumbledore and let him know you will be back later. Hopefully he isn't too offended about all three of you being late or not showing up," Arthur sighed in defeat. A knowing smirk passed through Harry's and Hermione's eyes before plates appeared in front of them and were filled with poached eggs, toast, and sausages. Glasses of pumpkin juice floated towards them and they ate in silence. Time was of the essence, it was nearing seven.
Once they were finished, Harry and Hermione excused themselves to gather their wands and jumpers. Remus followed them upstairs with promises to wake the Weasley children that were still sleeping. On the second floor, Hermione entered her room and gathered a black cardigan, put on her wand holster, and a pair of black trainers before noticing Remus waiting for her. Stepping away from the trunk, Hermione watched Remus shrink it and allowed her to place it into her undetectable extendable beaded bag before he went and did the same to Harry's trunk. She followed Remus and found Harry letting Hedwig out of her cage.
"She will find us later. I am going to let her hunt for now," Harry replied to the look of confusion on Hermione's face. Hermione had to admit, it would be hard for Hedwig to travel with them. Crookshanks would be difficult enough.
"Remus, what about Crookshanks?"
"I think a bubble-head charm would keep him fine in your bag, if you can handle that. Or you can have Kreacher deliver him to you once we portkey to the safe house," he answered with uncertainty.
"I think Kreacher is a better option. We need to be on our way, I will ask him before we leave. Meet you downstairs in a moment," the brunette witch said before securing her beaded bag and entering the library. "Kreacher!" she called out.
The house elf appeared with a 'pop' and bowed, "Yes, Mistress?"
"I have a task I must ask of you. Later this afternoon, I will be calling on you. Do you think you will be able to apparate Crookshanks to where I am at that time?" Hermione inquired.
"Anythings for Mistress. Kreacher bring kneazle to Mistress when she call".
"Thank you, Kreacher. Please, remember, you cannot tell anyone about me. You report to me if anything seems awry and you stay out of trouble," she smiled at Kreacher before dismissing him. Rushing as quietly as possible, Hermione found Harry and Remus waiting for her beside the floo. It was still running, but not for long. It was a quarter past seven. Hermione entered the floo first. Taking a handful of powder from the bucket hanging off the mantle, she called out, "Diagon Alley" as she released the powder and the emerald flames engulfed her. Harry followed and was followed by Remus.
"We barely made it. Dumbledore just showed up," the latter noted as he stepped out of the fireplace and into the street known as Diagon Alley. "I noticed him apparate in just as I dropped the floo powder".
Harry and Hermione agreed with their old professor before deciding what to do before Gringotts. They had already agreed that after Gringotts they would actually check out the shops they wanted, but right now, they had almost two hours before their meeting. After some discussion about the best plan to stay hidden, they decided to visit Wizz Hard Books. It was the only place they knew no one would look for them and they needed to stay hidden in case Dumbledore had the Order searching for them. It was close to Gringotts and out of sight to most everyone.
Ducking into the shop, they spent the next hour and half browsing books and deciding what ones would be worth buying. Harry plucked the newest edition of Quidditch Through The Ages, while Hermione had begun to pile books about runes, old magic, Dark Arts, protection, and creature laws into Remus's arms. Once they were happy with their selections and Harry convinced Hermione to allow him to purchase her books, which she did as long as he didn't grumble when she forced the money back to him at Gringotts; they shrunk the books, placed them in Hermione's beaded bag, and left for Gringotts.
Entering Gringotts, Remus guided the teenagers towards the furthest wall. As they approached, Hermione noticed the goblins falling silent and their eyes on the witch and two wizards heading towards the meeting room. Just before the door, lined with goblin silver, a goblin had cleared his throat and inquired of their business.
"Ragnuk the Fourth is meeting with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in five minutes. We were informed to meet him in the first meeting room and to not be late," Remus stated clearly.
"If what you say is true, place your wands on the door. If you are welcomed into the meeting room, your wand will open the door, but only for you. If not, security will take care of that you," responded the goblin before he went back to counting coins.
Harry, Hermione, and Remus all removed their wands and one by one placed them against the door, each gaining entry. The room was a soft golden color, a mahogany table sat in the center with enough room to seat a conference, and four chairs sat lining the table, three on one side, one on the other. Remus, Harry, and Hermione each went over and stood near the chairs, waiting for Ragnuk the Fourth to enter. The wait was short, as he appeared shortly after they stood by their chairs.
"Good morning. I understand we have business here today. Harry James Potter, you are here for the Incarceration Contract and Will of Sirius Black III, as well as a blood test to identify any houses of which you are inheriting. Hermione Jean Granger, you are here for similar reasoning. You are to take a blood test to identify your heritage, and if the test comes to any houses and relatives we have in our bank, you will then be able to open any Wills, Incarceration Contracts, Betrothal Contracts, and Trust Contracts that pertain to yourself. Remus Lupin, you are here to bear witness to all events. If this is inaccurate, please inform me now, or we shall begin, time is money," Ragnuk the Fourth explained. No one protested and the meeting officially began.
Ragnuk the Fourth summoned two parchments, an oak box with goblin writing on its top, and the traditional quills and inkwells. "To begin, Ms. Granger, you will need to," he opened the box and revealed a small goblin silver dagger with emeralds and rubies on its hilt, "prick your finger with this blade and sign your given name," Ragnuk the Fourth pushed the dagger and a piece of parchment towards her, "with your finger on here. It will be absorbed into the parchment and identify your bloodline". The goblin turned to Harry, "Mr. Potter, we might as well have you do the same now, instead of repeating this later. Mr. Lupin, please step out and call for Gringott. We will need him present for this". Remus stood up and poked his head out, calling for Gringott to join. Ragnuk the Fourth pushed the other parchment in front of Harry and they waited. The wait was shorter than expected and another goblin joined them.
"Ah, two bloodline tests. Ragnuk the Fourth, you may step down and allow me to take these," the goblin addressed Ragnuk the Fourth.
"Of course, Gringott. I have only told them of the task, I have not begun to bind the parchment nor their blood". Ragnuk the Fourth stood back and fell silent.
The goblin they now knew was Gringott, sat down and looked at them intently before speaking. "I am Gringott, the creator and founder of this bank. Before we begin the bloodline test, do either of you have any questions?" Once again, no one said anything, allowing Gringott to continue. "Ms. Granger, we shall begin with you. This is a binding test, if you are an heir to any house or if you are related to any house whose affairs we reside over, you will be forced to take the responsibility of those houses. This includes Betrothal Contracts, Incarceration Contracts, and Trust Contracts, upon Wills. If you agree to such a responsibility, and to possibly become the head of any house, prick your finger with the dagger and sign your given name upon the parchment you see in front of you". He allowed her to prick her finger, for which she gave a soft hiss upon the pain, and sign her name. Gringott began speaking in Goblin and the parchment cleared of her name as the magic began to work. A moment later, ink began to swirl where she once saw her name. Satisfied, Gringott turned to Harry. After repeating the same law of binding to Harry, Harry accepted and pricked his finger, signing a barely legible name upon the parchment. Gringott repeated his actions towards Harry and made certain the parchment was swirling with ink before turning his attention back to a stricken Hermione.
Her eyes never left her parchment. She found that her bloodline was, in fact, pure. Gringott took the parchment and began to read it aloud. "Ms. Granger, you are not a muggleborn. In fact, you are not a Granger. We can alter that here if you wish, but right now, I must read what houses I will be retrieving contracts and Wills from. You belong to the House of Peverell, though distant and you are not the heir. You are the heir to four houses, Selwyn by your grandfather, Black by your mother and father, Prewett by your adopted father Ignatius, and Gryffindor by your grandfather. These are five renowned and prestigious houses. You have the responsibility to head four and lead in second to the other". Gringott moved his hand and a pile of silver encased scrolls landed in front of her. "You have the option of continuing speaking with me or taking Ragnuk the Fourth and continuing with him. Remember, though, whomever you choose, will become the guardian of your vaults and you will only be able to consult with them about changes to your vaults". Hermione nodded and took in the information she just learned. She was the Head of four houses and a Second Head to a fifth.
"I will continue working with you, Gringott," the brunette witch finally stated, "if that is convenient for you". The goblin nodded and returned his attention to Harry. Harry had found he was the Second Head to the Houses of Black by his father and Sirius, Gaunt by his defeat of Voldemort as an infant, and Slytherin by the same means. He was heir to the Head of the House of Peverell by his father, Potter by his father, and Evans by his mother. Again, a pile of silver encased scrolls appeared, though in front of Harry, along with the option to choose the goblin to preside over his affairs. Harry chose Ragnuk the Fourth and with that another chair appeared. Ragnuk the Fourth escorted Harry to the opposite end of the table and summoned an inkwell, quill, the chairs, the pile of scrolls, and three separate boxes of similar size. Each box was large enough to hold a dagger and no bigger. One was etched with a design of rings, another was carved into a quill and inkwell design that was large enough to hold both, and the last was the largest and held no specific design. As Harry reached out to touch each, the boxes began to engrave his name and magic signature onto the latch and cover.
Hermione, then, turned her attention back to Gringott, whom had summoned similar boxes, though there were four. Gringott explained each box as he placed them in front of her. The first held her family rings and signets, only she could wear them, though there were marital rings in her vaults if she wishes for such in the future. The second held a custom quill and inkwell, the inkwell would never run out and used her magical signature to allow her to sign important documents. The raven quill that accompanied it was the only quill that could access the inkwell and could only use the ink with her magical signature, making it impossible for anyone else to use it, the quill was, also, able to detect if she was acting under free will or not, allowing an added form of protection for her. In the third box, she found a series of wax candles in her Houses' colors, wax seals for each House, and a wax seal stamp. Again, she found that there were plenty of spares for her spouse and children if she so wished it in the future. It was the last box that intrigued her, it was by far the smallest and held a key engraving on the top. Inside, was a set of keys. Gringott explained that each key would require blood to access the vault and that once the key was tuned to her, only she could use it. He gave her the dagger; she pricked her finger and tuned each key. There was a key for the Head of the Black Family vault, a key for Selwyn and Gryffindor, which were already attuned to her, and a key for the Prewett vault, which would deny any other Prewett from accessing without her accompaniment.
They moved onto the scrolls. Hermione had read the Wills and found she had a total of sixteen houses from Ignatius, twenty-one from Aldrich, six from Regulus, and two from Peverell, though she still didn't know how she was related to the Peverells. In her vaults, she had a combined total that equaled more than the Malfoy vault tenfold. She, also, learned that she had many items that were scattered around the world that belonged to her, now. All she needed to do was a blood summoning and they would return to her instantly. In her mother's Will, she found that she was to inherit her uncle's vault and that she would have to inherit her unborn brother's vault. That information shocked her. She was unaware of a brother, and her uncle, Lycoris, never lived past a year from what Kreacher told her.
They found no Betrothal Contracts, but there were two Trust Contracts and a single Incarceration Contract. Gringott explained that the Trust Contracts were from her mother, Cassiopeia, and her father, Regulus, upon her birth. Inside, she would receive a small fortune every year on her birthday to live off of and attend Hogwarts with, along with the fortune, she was entrusted to Narcissa. Finding that she had read something similar in the Wills, she realized Narcissa would be finding out about her very soon. The realization became daunting and she knew the rescue needed to happen soon. In the midst of her thoughts, she realized she still needed to read the Incarceration Contract. It was left for the next heir after Alphard was incarcerated, for demanding a trial against Barty Crouch Jr. after being attacked by the foul Death Eater, where he received the Kiss and died without trial. She was to gain his vault, the two Black family houses he owned, and the library collection he had stored in Grimmauld Place. Reading further, she learned that all of his possessions had a charm on them that allowed her to identify with his blood and call his name, which would summon the items to her. The contract advised she stood in the center of a large and empty room.
There remained two scrolls for Hermione to open. The first of the two remaining scrolls was her birth certificate, where she learned she was not Hermione, but Lyra Lucretia Selwyn, who was already seventeen as her official birth was 19 April 1979, and that her godparents were in fact Narcissa Malfoy and Sirius Black. The other scroll was a letter for her from her mother, it read:
My dear daughter, Lyra,
I have tried writing this many times. Your father, Regulus, and I are on the run. He has stolen something from the Dark Lord and I have betrayed Dumbledore. If you are reading this, we are no longer with you. I write this hoping you do not make the same mistakes as we did. Ouch, your brother kicks me as your father sends his regards. He loves you very much. I never thought he could love anyone, but he loves you and cares for me. But, we need to inform you of Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. Dumbledore is not to be trusted. My last mission went wrong, I was trying to gain access to the Death Eaters and found Dumbledore among them. He was using a concealment charm, but as I am pregnant, I could see through it. I confronted Dumbledore and was told he was just ensuring I took my place as a spy for him. Regulus explained to me that the man Dumbledore disguised himself as was a heavy part of the Death Eaters and had been since the Dark Lord rose to power. I told Minerva McGonagall, she laughed at the idea and informed Dumbledore, which is why I am on the run with you. Aurors are searching for me as are Order members. Time for us runs out soon, we both have learned of it when we were nearly caught last time.
Right now, we are at the Selwyn Estate, it is protected and hidden, but I will not put it past Dumbledore to find a way past these wards. We never leave anymore, being wanted by everyone makes it difficult to hide. As for the Dark Lord, your father betrayed him. I know Regulus plans on destroying whatever he stole, but hasn't yet. We try to restrict magic use. The Dark Lord is not above using force to ensure you comply with him, so please, daughter, mind yourself. If you are reading this, it, also, means that your godmother, Narcissa, never was able to gain custody of you as my Will enforces. It, also, means that Sirius is either incarcerated or dead, as you would be transported him the instant Regulus and I pass away. This means Dumbledore has found us, and taken you. I am not sure what condition you are in, and what he has done, but I promise you, I still love you. Your father and I are proud of you, we love you, and we believe in you.
If you are like me, you will love learning, probably put professors in their place, and be stubborn, but sometimes naive. If you are like Regulus, you will have a love for books and potions, a talent for wandless spell casting, an objective temper if something does not seem fair, the sixth sense of when something is wrong or dangerous, and a gift of instinctive reflexes. He was part of the Slug Club for a reason. Look that up when you are able to. I was not invited because I was considered a bastard child though conceived in wedlock, but that muggleborn, Lily Evans, was. This leads I think it had more to do with Ignatius, your grandfather only because he adopted me, jinxing Slughorn too many times. Ignatius, I hope you never meet him child, was a right git and is one of the ones that wants me dead. I ran away, after all, and after Sirius running away, the consequences became more dire than being burnt off the family tree. Darling, one last thing, I am reaching the end of the parchment, remember this:
"From blood to blood, my mind prevails, my heart strengthens,
my soul enlightens. From dawn to dusk, the sun can walk, though
from dusk to dawn it must be aided. Nothing is without its cost,
nothing is given, nothing is simple."
Clear your mind, mend your heart, interact with your soul. You will only find the answers you seek once you are in harmony. This was on a scrap piece of parchment Aldrich, my father, left in a nursery book for me. There was more, but I am afraid I do not recall it. Your father and I will always be watching.
Your loving mother,
Cassiopeia
Hermione placed the scroll down and covered her face. She could feel the amount of love her mother had for her. Her heart lightened at this thought and she realized she was crying as her tears fell onto her hands. Now, all that was left was finishing her name change and seeing her vaults. Then, she could go home. Gringott had summoned another parchment and muttered more Goblin before handing it to Hermione. She read it over, finding that since she had been a victim of fraudulent actions taken against her and her family, and she was the Head of those families, she had the right to re-identify herself using any of her given names, including her muggleborn name. Hermione thought it over and decided to identify herself as Hermione Lyra Selwyn, as she wanted to still honor her muggle family and her pureblood mother and father. She signed the certificate with her magical signature quill and it became official on every magical item attuned to her and all muggle documents immediately. Once she was done, she noticed Harry had resumed his position beside her and Remus before she saw a tiny fragment of parchment under her scrolls. Remus picked it up and read it, "Selwyn blood can read this location". Hermione took the parchment and smiled, she just found the location that Remus was speaking of, the safe house was right in her hand.
"Before we see the vaults, I was curious if I could bother you for a portkey attuned to my blood?" Hermione asked Gringott as he began clearing the area.
"For a hundred galleons, yes. International, hundred-fifty galleons. You will need to depart from here though, these are not Ministry approved," he informed her. Hermione nodded and agreed to the hundred-fifty galleon price, since she was not sure where exactly the location was. Gathering the scrolls she would need and the boxes attuned to her, she shrunk them and placed them in her beaded bag. Sighing in relief that she was actually seventeen and no longer had the trace on her. Making up her mind to talk to Remus and Harry later about Harry's findings, she followed Gringott to the vault carts and agreed with Harry and Remus to meet them back inside the meeting room once she was done. Harry had a need to go with Ragnuk the Fourth to his vaults, making this an easily agreeable situation.
Hermione and Gringott gathered in the first cart, instantly moving upon being seated. They traveled into the depths of the cavern and the growls of beasts could be heard. Gringott explained the layers of protections on each level of the cavern. The first few levels only required wand identification, the next few, a key,then blood, and blood and goblin blood. The level they were to visit first had an intruder waterfall, dousing intruders and leaving owners dry, followed by a dragon, and the requirement of a blood attuned key and a full goblin's hand. She had several vaults on this level, but was reassured that she could combine them according to family and place them in a more secure level, if she so wished. Gaining access to the two larger vaults on this level, Black and Prewett, she inquired about having a book made up for each vault's contents. Gringott set a price, she agreed, and found that she could have the books within a fortnight. Gathering a decent size coin purse from the Black vault, she decided to fill it with a small fortune to allow her to repay Harry and gain her heart's desire worth of books. Hermione, also, took a large coin purse from the Prewett vault and placed twenty-five thousand galleons in it with the intent to split it between Arthur, Ginny, Fred, George, and Bill. Each would receive five-thousand in compensation for the loss of the vault. Molly had proven she had no intent on doing right by Hermione the previous night, Ron and her had issues that she could not confide in with anyone else, and she didn't know Charlie. Percy, on the other hand, was well off and disowned. Finding sympathy for Charlie being left out because she didn't know him and Percy for being disowned, she gathered another ten thousand before leaving the vault and continuing on their way.
The next level they attended, Hermione found had the added security of requiring her blood straight into the door as well as the keys, and had a cerebus just in front of the vaults, there were only eight on this level and she owned two. Gaining entry to the Selwyn vault, she spotted a trunk and began to fill it with some of her family's jewels and items she suspected her mother once had. There was a corner filled with books and she summoned, shrunk, and fitted, as many as she could into the trunk before shrinking the trunk and placing it into her beaded bag with the galleons for the Weasley family. The Gryffindor vault had many artifacts and though she wanted to study them, she knew that all she needed in that moment was the cloak of which would allow her to harness more magic than her core could control. It was directly attuned to the elements and if she was within the elements in the cloak, she would be able to harness the raw magic of elementals.
Leaving the level, Hermione decided that she would only look at the Peverell vault. It was on the next level, which was the final level. The security was the same, apart from her only needing her blood, no key, to open the door, but guarding the final level of three vaults, was a rebellious hippogriff. Gringott warned her that though she one of the rightful owners of one of the vaults, she would still have to gain the hippogriff's trust first. Remembering the lesson Hagrid taught her third year, she bowed as she slowly approached, never breaking eye contact. Her hands were beneath her, but empty, thoughts remained pure. After minutes of her waiting, the hippogriff bowed and stepped aside, allowing her access to the Peverell vault. Gringott informed her that she would only be able to access a small part of the vault, and what she could access would be what she saw and it changed based upon the true owner, the Head of House, who accessed the same vault, but much more of it. Hermione took a quick survey of the vault before closing it and deciding to leave it for another day. It was nearly as large as one of the smaller Black vaults, which was a task for another day, as well. They made their way back to the surface and she made her way back to the meeting room. Remus and Harry were both waiting for her.
With promises to speak later, Hermione went to find Gringott in the marble hall and to his station. It was empty. She asked if he would handle the money and a letter to each Weasley gaining galleons from her explaining that the Prewett vault was no longer in their reach. Gringott agreed and she handed him the bag of galleons. She finished business by handing over two hundred galleons for the portkey and for his cooperation with creating the books for her. Taking the portkey, she wrapped it within the silk cover he handed her and placed it into her pocket. "Ms. Selwyn, to activate that portkey, you will need to be in the meeting room and a drop of blood will need to be placed on it. It can only be activated today, so do not forget to use it," Gringott stated before dismissing her.
Hermione gathered Harry and Remus, and they exited the bank together. Judging by the sun's location and the growling in their stomachs, it was past lunch. Settling on The Leaky Cauldron for lunch, the trio made their way and kept their heads down. There was a silent agreement that no one spoke about Gringotts until they were at the safe house. Instead, they spoke about what they would be soon acquiring and the next school year. Hermione learned that Harry had helped Dumbledore persuade Horace Slughorn to take up the Potions post and part of the task Dumbledore expects of Harry. She figured that if Horace had the Potions post, Severus would have the Dark Arts post, and that was something she looked at with distaste.
Lunch seemed to speed by and they found themselves in front of the last bookstore with Hermione. Harry had his purchases, Hermione just needed one more book, and she knew that she could find it inside Obscurus Books.
Satisfied with their purchases, Hermione and Harry decided they wanted new robes to match their titles before leaving Diagon Alley. It was, however, getting late and they didn't want to risk being caught if Dumbledore's meeting was over. They entered Twilfitt and Tattings for their robes. The owner had greeted Hermione and Harry with a pleasant smile and immediately began taking their measurements with a bewitched tape measure. Hermione enlightened the owner of her requirements for her robes, but left the rest to him. She required they had a form of recognition to the Houses she was the Head to, and that they were able to be worn year long, which forced the owner to weave certain spells and charms into the robes. The witch had ordered several robes of two lengths, knee and ankle, and several colors before paying for them. Requesting they would be ready in three day's time, she promised him a generous tip for his silence and diligence. Harry followed suit, but his robes were all of the same length.
Business finished, Remus guided Hermione and Harry back to Gringotts, barely sidestepping an Order member. Hermione noticed the member and realized they may have pushed their luck. Just as they were about to enter the doors, Fred had found them and thanked Hermione for her donation to him, but more importantly to warn her to not return to Grimmauld just yet. He informed her that Ginny flooed him after the meeting and told the twins that Molly and Ron were at wit's end about how it seemed most of the Weasley's gained a small fortune from Hermione, and Molly was locked out of the Prewett vault. Harry and Remus chuckled at that. Hermione briefly explained to Fred about what happened, but left out Dumbledore, before bidding him farewell. Fred promised secrecy, and would only inform George of what was said, before he gave her a hug and left. The trio, left alone again, made their way into the bank and back into the meeting room. There lay a dagger for Hermione. Remembering the words on the parchment scrap, she pulled out the portkey, removed its covering, and pricked her finger with the dagger. Dropping a small amount of blood on the stone portkey, Hermione focused on the words inscribed, 'Qum sanguinem nostrum in domum tuam'. Looking at Harry and Remus, she nodded and they each stretched a finger, touching the stone together. The horrible sensation of being dragged by the nostrils and squashed into a vacuum-sealed tube assaulted them as the portkey triggered. Hermione felt the familiar feeling of falling and quickly cast a cushioning charm for them as they tumbled onto the ground in front of a large manor. A sensation washed over Hermione, she could not place it, but it was something that intrigued her..
Remus, Harry, and Hermione found themselves standing and staring at the manor in front of them. It was over an acre of a deep red brick building with four storeys. From their view, the large cherry wood door stood within an elaborate black stone archway. Each storey had twelve identical windows with accompanying black window shutters. Matching in architectural design, the windows on the top three floors followed a pattern from their left to right, a picture window, Palladian window, two picture windows, another Palladian window, two picture windows, a lengthened Gothic arch window that spanned the three storeys, two picture windows, Palladian window, and another picture window. The first storey held much a similar design, though instead of the Palladian windows, it held bay windows, and the front door held the place of the Gothic windows. A stone hipped roof sat with several deep red brick chimneys. Remus and Harry stood in awe of the beautiful architecture while Hermione took in the rest of her surroundings.
The surrounding area was well kept and the landscaping of rose bushes and other exotic plants stole Hermione's breath. There was a hedge of rose bushes that stretched around the manor in varying colors from a delicate white to an exotic blue. A forest stood in the midst of the property, as did a vast amount of land. She knew that she would like to expand on the property, a greenhouse, pool, carriage house, and even possibly a fire pit for summer bonfires. Sighing at her thoughts, she was brought back to the present when Harry tapped her arm, "Hermione, the wards, we need to fix them before anything happens. You will need to allow Remus and myself into the wards for apparition. And the floo! There are so many things to do before we can discuss today". Hermione quickly realized that she still needed to summon Kreacher for Crookshanks as well.
"There are usually ward-stones inside the building or the gates surrounding the property, sometimes both. Lets check the gates first, if there are ward-stones, it will be easier to set those first," Remus instructed Hermione. Together, they strode towards the wrought iron gates that stood nearly as high as the manor and were intricately designed with a mixture of Gothic and Roman structures. They were well designed and stunning. Remus waved his wand and a soft yellow glow shone one each side of the gate doors. Hermione went to the one on her right first, dropping her blood onto the stone and waited for Remus's instructions.
"You will need to enchant Harry's and my magical signatures into the wards, to do so, you need to focus on only us and be willing to allow us within the gates. What you change here will automatically alter in the house, but those wards will be even stronger. Focus on us," he told her as he slowly felt the wards change and felt a friendly aura surround him. "Great. Now, you will need to ensure no harm comes to you or the people here, while the Fidelius Charm is in place and only you truly know the location, and the muggle repelling charm is active, we must protect against Dumbledore and Death Eaters alike. They could use spies, to detect these people, you will need to focus on the auras of danger. Think about being in danger, let it consume you, once the wards sense your control and emotions, they can alter themselves to protect you and those you choose to protect. Tomorrow, we will set up an apparition point".
Hermione did as she was told without complaint. Finishing with the right ward stone, she repeated her actions with the left wardstone before realizing how drained her magic felt. Remus led the way back to the manor where they found Harry trying to open its front door, "Bloody bugger won't open. Hermione, fix this". Hermione stepped forward and placed her hand on the golden door latch and it glided open. She felt herself being pulled to the wall directly behind the, now, open door. There was an area glowing yellow, just like the wardstones at the gate. Remus stepped beside her as Harry closed the door and began to wander around.
"There will be no apparating within the walls, unless you want to set an apparition point for those you trust most in here. That being said, I suspect you will want to add more security. You can add charms that would prevent fires from burning the home, strengthen the structure from damage, and even allow each room to have its own silencing spell, though I don't suggest that for long term. We can find a book on wards in the morning, for now, just make sure what you sense is what you feel safe with. You are obviously drained, Hermione," Remus told the younger witch before he followed Harry and explored their new safe house.
Hermione was satisfied with the wards as they were; Aldrich took great care in privacy and protection. Turning about, she noticed the manor was even larger than she anticipated outside. She stood in a corridor that spanned across twenty doors and a connection to two other crossing corridors and an elaborate marble staircase that stood as the center of attention before her with a balcony viewing the entry way. Walking into the room to her right, she entered a large front room with several black sofas and coffee tables scattered elegantly about. There was another doorway and she took it, finding herself in a library that stood two storeys tall. Sofas, lounge chairs, tables, writing desks, and a large fireplace stood within its walls. A staircase led to the balcony and second storey. Hermione withdrew herself, much to her own contempt, but she wanted to learn of the rest of the manor before she became engulfed and never left.
Room upon room, the brunette found herself in elegant and sophisticated taste. A kitchen, small dining area, formal dining area, breakfast nook with patio, large ballroom that allowed entry into the gardens, smaller ballroom, a function room that seemed more like a conference room, four lavatories, a travel room, a drawing room, and many other rooms that she couldn't gain access to on the first storey. Resigning herself to continue upwards, she learned the second storey had many rooms that were locked to her, along with four more lavatories, a sitting room on the east and west ends, and the entries to both the east and west wings. Taking the east wing, Hermione found several guest chambers with en suites, sitting rooms, and even a smaller library on the second storey. The third and fourth storeys were obviously for extended family, or even older children that wished for privacy. Rooms were more intricate, but a similar design to those on the second storey. She explored each storey before the west wing. The third storey had a common sitting room that expanded several rooms, three study rooms, a locked room, and open space. The fourth storey held the same concept, apart from the study rooms. In their place, were children play rooms, and a small kitchenette.
The west wing was most definitely the Master's wing. Between the private library that required her magical signature, and the study room off of the library, she knew that her grandfather had been excessive over his privacy. Also, on the fourth storey, Hermione found a sitting room, two more bedchambers with en suites, and a small common space. A storey below, she found the Master's bedchamber with an extravagant en suite, two dressing rooms that attached to the en suite, and a cupboard that held a door to the strongroom. There were drapes of an emerald green that held entry to an enclosed patio that overlooked the gardens and forest. Stepping onto it, she could feel the breeze in the air, but knew it was only charmed as there were windows surrounding her. A dinette set, two loungers with matching occasional tables, and a plush black throw rug. Leaving, what would become, her chambers, Hermione quickly assessed that the remaining rooms were two nurseries, a small potions laboratory, a cozy sitting room, and another large common area. Below that replicated the second storey on the east wing.
She found Remus and Harry in the large entry hall waiting for her. Guiding the men into the kitchen, Hermione began to wonder if she had food stocked. Opening the cupboards, surprise came over her as she noticed they were fully stocked. Deciding to attempt to figure out why the manor was in impeccable shape, she called out, "Hello, are there any house elves here?"
Startling the trio, eight house elves appeared with a 'pop'. "Yes, Mistress. House elves lives here. We ares Master Aldrich's obedient elves. Serves only Selwyn bloods. Yous is Selwyn. We serves yous, Mistress. I ares Mipsty, heads elf. Theses ares Rusty, Evey, Scritch, Pitsky, Herny, Weksy, and the littlest Ninny. How we serves yous, Mistress?" Mipsty pointed to each house elf down the line beside her.
"Oh, I don't need to be served. I want to thank you for caring for my grandfather's manor and ensuring food was here. I am Hermione. No need to call me Mistress. Hermione is fine. Are you happy here?" Hermione asked the house elves.
"Wes is happies here, Mistress Hermione. We is very happies. Gots clothes and rooms. Master Aldrich nevers mistreated his loyals elves," the house elf name Rusty replied.
Satisfied they weren't mistreated, Hermione knew from past experiences, only Dobby liked being free. She let the conversation halt and began to contemplate dinner. "What should I make for supper?" she turned to Remus and Harry.
"Mistress Hermione, us house elves cooks and cleans. Goes sits in sitting room, wes makes suppers and brings yous in," Mipsty interjected without room to argue. Harry and Remus saw Hermione trying to not argue and finally giving in, retreating to the sitting room with a 'thank you' on her way out.
Inside the sitting room, Harry and Remus explained Harry's experience at Gringotts. He had gained several more houses and a few businesses, along with many vaults with nearly as much gold as Hermione. Remus informed Hermione that he would be opening the floo after supper and Hermione quickly explained to the wizards of her experiences before supper was served. They entered the smaller dining area and found a feast that rivaled Hogwarts, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, fruit salad, roast pork, mashed squash, and pumpkin juice.
xXx
After supper, the trio decided to split up and locate rooms. Harry and Remus chose to entertain the east wing for the time being, whilst Hermione took her rightful chambers. After leaving her beaded bag on her bed, she summoned her trunk and enlarged it to its normal size before calling on Mipsty to aid her in unpacking the remainder of her belongings. Mipsty explained the strongroom and how it required her to prick her finger on the latch to open to her, permitting Hermione to place many of her valuable items within. Satisfied with the assistance she received, Hermione called for Kreacher. She waited until she heard the 'pop' of an apparition outside of her door. Kreacher stepped inside with an enraged Crookshanks. He let the kneazle go before bowing to Hermione, "Kreacher did as requests. Anything else, Mistress?"
"Thank you, Kreacher. You did well. I do have one favor to ask of you, if you are willing. I need eyes and ears within the Order; do you think you are capable of informing me of each meeting and news? This means no one can know you work for me, and it means you never speak to anyone other than myself of these matters". Hermione hoped he would help her, but she could not force him to.
"Yes, Mistress. What abouts the Blacks and Malfoys, theys still calls me to helps thems?" Kreacher replied.
"Inform me of what they wish to know and what you know. We can find something to feed them and you are to not follow any orders that are not given by Harry or I that would go against us. Please, Kreacher. I am trying to win this war to protect us, house elves, and other magical beings," she implored.
Kreacher seemed relieved and bowed again before disapparating, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts. She decided she needed a hot bath and time to read before she met with Remus and Harry to discuss Draco his mother. Opening her trunk, she began to summon items and send them to their new locations, including her bathing supplies. The task was finished with haste and she was able to enter her bath. Soaking for nearly two hours, Hermione felt she was able to relax enough to plan the Malfoy escape. She dressed in an emerald nightgown wrapped in her robe and matching slippers before waiting for Harry and Remus in the common area on the third floor, their floor.
Remus and Harry entered the room, quickly explaining that they set up the floo, but only for Hermione and themselves for the time being. Their location was now known as 'Purus Sanguis'. Remus mentioned turning a small unused room into an Owlery to allow them the ability to have access to several owls at a time. Along with accepting the idea, Hermione asked Remus if he would go and buy the owls as well as alter a single room in the next day. Remus quickly agreed, knowing Hermione would need to send Draco a letter by evening tomorrow and would need an owl. The topic quickly altered and they found themselves creating a fool-proof plan to rescue Draco and Narcissa through most of the night. It was nearly daylight when everyone retired to their chambers. Hermione found herself weary and relieved, hoping she would be able to sleep soundlessly for a few hours.
-Author's Notes-
'Qum sanguinem nostrum in domum tuam' is Latin and it is loosely translated to 'Together with our blood is your home'.
'Purus Sanguis' is Latin and loosely translated to 'Pure Blood'.
What I am trying to do is allow people to see the cunning and devious side of Hermione, Remus, and Harry for now. They know they are considered traitors to Dumbledore's cause at this point, but to anyone who knew the trio, they would never think of them being supremacists, which is why they would have taken the cunning route instead of bold. It would hide them better and allow them to take the time to create a plan. I won't give away my secrets, but I will apologize for any readers I may have lost with this chapter. It is a fanfiction for a reason. It tickles my fancies, which is why I write. I understand that parts of this chapter seemed to be fillers, and yes, some parts were, but most of the information you found in this chapter will be needed another day.
Thank you to Erulastiel-Ithilwen for being my amazing beta-reader!
As always, please, keep favoriting, following, and reviewing! I will do my best to answer each of you! Thank you to the following for the much appreciated love of reviews, favorites, and follows: bakerusaf, pfana, weeem25, and OneandOnlyBeckster!
Much love. -F.A.L.-
