Thunder and lightning boomed in the sky, with dark winds blowing. It was very cold, too, so the rain that fell was almost like snow. Inside, Hermione shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold.

Hermione had been taken to a bedroom – I guess this is mine now, she thought, as she saw that all her belongings, even the many bookshelves of her precious books, had been moved into the room. Everything was neatly arranged, the way she liked it. But when she opened the huge darkwood wardrobes, she didn't find her jeans or sweaters or sneakers, her Muggle clothes. Which she suddenly didn't find at all appealing anymore – even that new jacket I bought at H&M last summer... eww, how could I ever have worn anything like that? Her Hogwarts uniforms were there, though, freshly washed and cleaned, but she didn't feel like wearing her school uniform around this... building, or whatever it was.

Hermione walked over to the next darkwood wardrobe and opened it. What she saw made her gasp in surprise. There were many racks of very elaborate, very formal dress robes, and even a shelf of what appeared to be corsets! Most of them were made of silk, or velvet, and were decorated with lace. Hermione had never seen them before, but they all looked like they were just her size.

How long have they been expecting me here? And besides Bellatrix, who's holding me here? Where am I?

Hermione selected a long black dress and a long flowing midnight blue cape to go with it. They fit her slim figure perfectly, hugging her ample curves. This wasn't her usual thing, but she felt... experimental. And definitely different.Very different. Could that be so wrong?

Hermione looked at her reflection in the tall, full length glass mirror by the wardrobe. She almost didn't recognize what she saw there. Her long, shining dark hair looked almost raven black in the candlelight, and her face was pale white – from fear. She was shocked to find that in her new clothes, she looked beautiful... She had never thought of herself as beautiful before. Not beautiful enough to be loved.

Tears rolled down her marble white cheeks. Would she ever see Harry again?

Did she look like Bellatrix? Would she become like Bellatrix? She knew, of course, that Bellatrix Lestrange had been the right hand of Voldemort and certainly assisted him with his dark deeds. But she had also been so kind to Hermione... and she was her mother, after all. Her real mother...

Hermione belonged here.

Was this the house of the Lestranges? It could be. After all, if Bellatrix was her mother, Rodolphus Lestrange must be her father. Hermione shivered. Was her true name Hermione Lestrange?

If so, why were they imprisoning her here? She'd been alone for over an hour. Hermione wanted some answers. What was going on? Why was everything always kept secret from her?

With a cry of frustration, Hermione threw the nearest object she could find, a small metal box, into the mirror. The mirror shattered into hundreds of tiny shards, and Hermione cried out as some of the shards landed on her hand. She looked at her hand. Blood welled from some tiny cuts, but she wasn't badly hurt. However, without a wand, she couldn't heal herself. She found a white silk handkerchief in one of the darkwood wardrobes and wrapped her hand in it.

But the metal box... Hermione kneeled down to look at it more closely. It had opened after falling to the floor. It looked like some kind of jewelry box. Inside it were a ruby necklace, pearl earrings, and a few jewelled rings. But something else was far more interesting...

Hermione lifted out a long silver chain. An oval-shaped locket hung from the end of it. She opened the two ovals with trembling hands. It opened easily to her touch. She was disappointed to find that there were no portraits in it – she was curious to learn more about her newfound history. Instead, inside was a small folded square of parchment. The note read:

My dearest Bella, if you are reading this now, then you must know the dark evil that has overcome me... My soul has become tainted. You are the only one powerful enough to save me. I myself do not know the spell or enchantment strong enough to overcome the darkness, but I trust you will find the way. This I write with all the love I have to give, imperfect as it is. Know that I will always love you.

Hermione almost dropped the locket. She had had so many questions, and now she only had more. 'Bella' must mean Bellatrix, but who had written the note? What did the writer mean, 'tainted'? 'The darkness'?

"Hermione!" Bellatrix's voice rang out.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway outside her room. Hermione quickly put the locket around her neck and tucked it away under her dress so it could not be seen.

She would figure it out some other time. After all, wasn't she the cleverest witch her age? She was Hermione... Hermione... Hermione shivered. Hermione Lestrange.

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Interested to learn more about the mysterious locket? All about Hermione's secret past? And what's to come next? Then PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! IT HELPS ME TO WRITE!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!