DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately for me I dont own HP, If I did, then Hermione would have been the Choosen one. All rights to that faabulosu world go to JKR and her out of this world mind.

Now back to the story.

Chapter 4 (Going Home)

It wasn't until we got back to the Manor that Mia and I could talk properly about the thing I heard in Flourish and Blotts.

"Do you think it was a vision, like Father's Seer powers, or perhaps someone used Legilimency on me," I said, trying to gain some understanding, as Raven hooted from her bronze perch at the window, begging for some attention.

"Because you may have natural shields from all the meditating Papa put you through before you came to this world, I'd say it's unlikely that someone would just happen to break through them at random, at least certainly not without you feeling it, so I'd guess it must be you coming into your Seer powers. However, most Seers don't have their first vision until they're at least fifteen and you're only eleven."

I remind her of something she seems to have forgotten. "But we aren't actually eleven years old, so maybe my powers are stronger and the Seer ability is finally catching up."

I look over and see Mia flop down on to my bed in the most unladylike manner that had us both looking toward our shared suite's door for any sign of Grandmother Patton and her all knowing powers. After a breath holding second and not hearing our grandmother, we let out the breath and I looked up to the ceiling.

The ceilings in our rooms and sitting room were enchanted, much like the one in Hogwarts' Great Hall, or so our father said it was. It was something that our original ancestor, Henrick Patton, had had done when he commissioned the house to be built nearly a thousand years ago. As we had been told, Henrick Patton had been the son of Rowena Ravenclaw, and upon marrying the only daughter of the last of the Patton line, had taken on her last name.

"So if it wasn't a planted thought through Legilimency, then you have inherited your family's Gift," Mia said, before she pulled out a sugar quill from the pocket of her robes and began sucking.

The thought had merit but still wasn't explaining what had happened as well as I would have liked.

"What exactly did you hear and see, or do you not remember?"

I had begun petting Raven and staring at the ceiling, which looked a little like the night sky, when she asked the question, and I turned to her while saying, "I didn't see anything, and all I remember is hearing 'no one is more powerful then the great Raven', whoever that is."

I had decided to go to the library and see if there was maybe something on this Raven when Mia sat up again and said, "As in the name you gave your phoenix?"

I nod my head and then she says "OH! Why didn't you say that earlier, it must have been Raven speaking to you from your psychic link. I read all about phoenixes in my Care Of Magical Creatures book. When a witch or wizard bonds with a phoenix, they will tell you their name, and will be able to communicate with you through the familiar link."

I finally looked up at Mia from where I was still petting Raven, and said "Are you certain, it could still…" However, I never finished my sentence as my father knocked then entered our sitting room, Mia and I both swiftly getting up to greet him.

"Hello, Papa," we both say in unison, and although it had freaked us out the first few times we had spoken in sync, now it was just second nature.

My father smiled and then said, "Okay, so here is where I'm going to give you another choice, my pet, as you told me that you left somewhat abruptly. I'd like to give you a chance to return and get your things, clothes, or items of sentimental value."

His voice was strong and caring, yet I heard a subtle note of worry in it. The truth is, the only things I would want from my world would be my Ravenclaw copies of HP and my MacBook. Mia had been telling me earlier this week, that in her ' imaginary world' as we had decided to call it, she had come up with a way to get computers to work on magic, and if that same spell could work here, then I wanted my laptop with me.

"How would we get there since magic doesn't work there?" I ask, Mia nodding her head to second my question.

My father smiled and said, "The same way you arrived: by portkey. I transferred the location of the trunk's portkey to this." He hands over a small brass can and then continued. "This will give you one hour before it activates and brings you two back. Once you say Remeo, time starts."

Mia turned to me and said, "We might as well, I want to see this MacBook you speak of, since you say it's better than Apple."

I smirked, thinking how I was going to explain that Apple and Mac were the exact same company. However because Steve Jobs had created the Mac line of computers, it was a completely different and, in my opinion, better product than the computers made after they fired Steve Jobs in the late eighties. But now I needed to find a way to explain a computer to my father, right as he says, "MacBook, is this some type of reading material?"

I nearly choked… reading material as if it were really a book! "Ookayyy. It's not a book, it's a digital…"

"A diji what?"

He cut me off and I realized it was going to take a show and tell instead of an explanation.

"I can't really explain it, considering it hasn't even been invented in the Muggle world here yet. I'll let you see it when we get back from collecting what I need.".

I was hoping I wouldn't be confronted by my mom, but knowing her, she was locked in my bedroom in a fetal position, hugging my baby blanket, trying to figure out why I would run away. My mother would, of course, bring up a whole new problem for me, as I had no idea how she would react when I reappeared.

"Father, do you think Mom is going to be a problem?" I ask, after my father agrees with me about demonstrating how the computer works.

My father frowned and said, "I'll be honest, I'd forgotten about her."

I felt my heartstrings tug, and then remembered this was not the man that I grew up with and watched as he loved my mother as much as he loved the wizarding world. This was the man he was before all of that, before me. So instead of reprimanding him about it, I try to explain about the love he had had for my mother to try to get him to be less nonchalant. "You loved her as much as you did the wizarding world, although you always used to joke she'd have never loved you if it wasn't for your money."

I could see my father was shocked as he said, "Your mother was a gold digger?"

I couldn't help but giggle slightly at his words, reminded all too well of how my father would jokingly call her the Black Widow, something I proceeded to tell my father. "You used to call her the Black Widow, but I was too young to understand. One day I asked Mom about it, and she laughed and said, "Even though it wasn't true, because I had a few rich boyfriends before I married your father, all of whom treated me very well, he used to tease me that I preyed on older, rich men, making them fall in love with me, just before draining them of their fortunes and moving on."

The look of astonishment and even slight admiration on my father's face told me he was intrigued, just as the look of revulsion on Mia's told me she was none too impressed with the future Mrs. Patton.

"Is she beautiful?"

The question brought me back from contemplating my sibling's discord, and I answered truthfully, smiling as I recall just how beautiful my mother is as I described her for my father. "She has hair as blonde as a Malfoy, eyes the color of gold, and skin the light tan of a sandy beach. And she loved you."

This seemed to make my father happy as he contemplated a future where he would have that kind of love, and it was easy to see that my description had piqued my father's interest. Well aware he would one day meet her again, he asked, "Was she a good mother, I mean after I… died?"

I could tell speaking of his own death had slightly dampened his mood. Nevertheless I answered his question eagerly as to whether she had been a good mother, for she had. "She was the best. And she taught me to be classy, not trashy; how to gain the upper hand; that being underestimated as simply a pretty face was the biggest compliment a foe could pay you; and how to apply make-up, fix my hair, and how to dress."

My father smiled, clearly fascinated. "She sounds like quite a woman," he said, his tone almost wistful.

I didn't tell him that she had also taught me more about being a refined and well educated lady than Grandmother Patton thought she was teaching Hermione and I to be, or as Hermione called Grandmother's lessons, 'being trained in the art of feminine wiles'.

Putting aside all thoughts of Grandmother Patton, I returned my attention to the current subject at hand, for my father's interest in my mother had planted a small seed of hope in my head. "What if we brought her back with us; I mean knock her out and bring her back, as I know she'd never go without a fight. We could tell her everything once she was here."

My father scratched his chin and debated it for a moment, before saying, "No, no, don't do that. She's a Muggle, and well, they never understand about us, just like she would never understand."

Hearing this, Mia makes me an offer. "I can obliviate her for you. You're leaving that world behind, and just as I did with my parents to keep them safe, I think it better your mother never knew you existed."

I paused, thinking it over, trying like mad to find another solution. However, nothing came to mind, and I knew I had no other choice, I was going to have to make my mother forget me.

"I can do it, Rorie, and she will simply think she's been living her life the same as usual for the past seventeen years, albeit without you in it."

I almost snorted at Mia's words. My mother didn't have a career, her job was to home-school me and love me, while my father went out on adventures to find lost artifacts from the HP movies. However now I wondered if that had been just a cover, and if it had, what exactly my father had really been up to? If my mum didn't have me to take care of, what was she going to do? These thoughts plagued me as I nodded in acceptance of Mia's proposal and grabbed the portkey.

I was about to take hold of Mia to hurry to get this over with, when she pulled out of the way and said, "Hang on, we need to disillusion ourselves first so that when we arrive she won't see us, and I can obliviate her and leave as quickly as possible."

I just nodded, well aware my voice would be of no use, knowing my mother would never see me again. I felt Mia tap my head with her wand, causing the weird sensation of having an egg opened up on top of your head and the yolk sliding down your spine as I vanished from sight.

I took a deep breath and felt Mia hold my hand as she said, "Remeo."

We arrived back in my father's study, however everything was gone. There was nothing in it at all, except for a trunk with my new initials scrawled across the top in gold, and a letter on top. I could feel Mia looking at me but I couldn't understand, why were all the lights out? Where had everything gone? And where had that trunk come from? I felt myself become visible and watched as a now Mia visible walked over to the trunk and picked up the letter.

"This is addressed to Row, so it must be for you."

Her words snapped me out of my inner thoughts of confusion, and I walked over to where she was holding a letter with the nickname my mum called me written on it. "It is. My mum calls me Row, but how could she have a trunk with my new names initials on it?"

I take a step back as Mia starts to perform tests on it and says, "It appears that if you actually have a wand, you can do magic here, that is…"

But I didn't hear her finish as I started to open the letter and read.

'To My Little Rowboat,

I am so proud of you! You took the portkey, and you have finally come into your powers. I knew you would do it, I had every faith in you. I know you must be confused, my love, and I shall answer many of your questions here, while others will have to wait till we meet again, and I promise, my love, we shall meet again. Now when I left you in your father's study I knew what was going on with the trunk, and knew that this was a journey you must go on alone.

I know you think I am nothing but a Muggle, however I am anything but that. My real name is not Cassandra Maddox-Patton, my real name is actually Cassiopeia Jean Malfoy. Yes, if you were wondering, you, my dear, are a Malfoy as well but I would keep that a secret for now. However, I am not Lucius and Narcissa's daughter, I am Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy's daughter.

When your father first went to the future, he accidently miscalculated and sent himself to an alternate universe; it's how he knew and understood this world without magic existed. In this alternate universe, the books your father helped Joanne write was the world I was born into.

I came into existence because, in my world, my father wasn't a complete git as he was in the books, and instead of wallowing in self pity, in his sixth year he went to the smartest witch of his age and begged for forgiveness and sought her help. It was then that he became a spy for the Order. It was through that and the war that I was conceived. Oh, and I know Hermione is with you, and you can tell her that her counterpart was not a scarlet woman, as they married two months after I was born.

When your father showed up in my world, I had just started my residency at St. Mungo's in the psych-ward. The time travel and inter-dimensional living had taken their toll on him because of his visions. He was seeing all the different ends to Voldemort and could not see the one from his world, the one that would end his world's suffering. He only saw that Harry had failed in his world, just as he had failed to save Harry and his parents. It was when he first touched me that he got the vision of you, and he realized it was you that would save the real wizarding world.

At first I thought he was crazy, until he showed me his memories in a pensive, showing me a world where not only was I never ever going to be born, for my father was a shallow coward, but one where my mother was killed and Voldemort won. I told your father that I would do anything to make certain that his world did not have that future, and it was then that he decided to actually court me, together with some help from my mother.

We eventually realized that he could travel not only inter-dimensionally, but through time by using that same equation combined with a different incantation. This is how we found the world you grew up in, as we had decided it would be safer to have you grow up a Muggle rather than a witch. We wanted to protect you, while still teaching you everything you would need, which is why your father tried so hard to immerse you in the world of Harry Potter, so that you would be ready for when you finally met up with him again in his world.

And now my love, it's time for you to return to that world. I have packed all of your things, and, yes, that includes your laptop. I do not know the future that awaits me, as I have my own portkey to take me back to your father. However, I hope and pray that you succeed.

I shall see you again my Little Rowboat, so, until then be Brave, be Kind, be Smart, and above all else be Cunning.

Love,

Your Mother.

I looked up as Mia came back into the room.

"We have ten minutes left. I've run around the house. There's nothing here, everything's been packed up and gone. Do you think that she decided to move since you never came back?"

I shake my head, massively stunned for the second time in life, as I hand Mia the letter for her to read. It all made sense now. My mother and her regal air, her Malfoy hair! I should have known but then again she played her part well. Always acting as if my father's obsession was just some cute quirk he had and she loved about him. My own mother was a witch, and Hermione Granger's daughter with Draco Malfoy?

I wanted to sigh 'aww' at the thought, after all I am a huge Dramione fan, to the complete and utter dismay of my new sister.

"Ugh, she did what!" Mia shouted as she shook in my face the letter I had handed to her. "Your mother is my alternate self's daughter with Malfoy!"

I try not to laugh at the amount of disgust on her face, as she marches over to the trunk and opens it with one flick of her wand. She then stuffs the letter inside, small retches making her body shake as if she wants to vomit as she repeats the words she had once used about Malfoy. "That foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach! Probably conned her into sleeping with him. My poor innocent and deceived alternate self. How could she? Arrrgggg!"

She growls one last time and then turns to look at me, a calm façade now in place. "Well, we can't tell Papa about this; if he knows he messed up his calculations, he could change the fact that you were ever born. Wherever your mom is, she said she would be with Papa, so we shouldn't be worried, right?"

I realize I hope we shouldn't be as I peer over the edge of the trunk and see my MacBook Clear Pro, the latest and greatest of the Mac Laptops and smile, knowing this will help a lot. Then I notice all my dresses and clothes, and thank the undetectable extension charm that allows them all to fit into the trunk, as do all my books, and even my guitar. I take hold of the top and close it, saying, "She seems to know what she was doing, clearly they both had a plan, or else none of this would be happening. I trust my parents and I'm sure everything's fine. Here grab the other end and lets go."

The second I said go, I felt the pull at my navel and the spin as we tumbled back into our suite's sitting area. Our father was sitting on the lounger and looked up at our reappearance, then looked at his watch. "Just on time, good, good. So I suppose everything went to plan then."

I suspected my father was referring to Mia obliviating my mom, and I nod my head as he hugs me and says, "It's for the best, my pet, we don't want any loose ends."

He then let go of me and went to hug Mia and, as he was leaving, he said, "Oh, and off to bed, both of you, you'll need to be up early for the journey to Kings Cross." He smiled from over his shoulder and then walked out of the room.

Mia sat on top of the trunk and said, "Time is such a fickle thing, that computer in your trunk is the smallest computer I have ever seen, and I own a laptop in my time and space."

I laugh at her effort of trying to find an appropriate way to explain just where she is from. At my own laughter, she started laughing as well.

"Are you ready to go back to Hogwarts?" I say, as we both catch our breaths and we go to sit on the lounger, where I call out to Misty.

As she appears, she says, "You's call, Missy Row?"

I smiled, spotting a somewhat apprehensive look on Mia's face, before saying, "Could you bring us some lemonade please, Misty? Then take my trunk into my room and sort everything out."

Misty bowed, and with a snap she disappeared and took the trunk with her.

Once she was gone and a pitcher of lemonade had appeared on our tea table, Mia finally answered my question, saying, "Yes and no. I'm still having nightmares about Malfoy Manor, and I'm not convinced I can keep my composure around Bellatrix Lestrange, even if she's only fifteen right now. And even worse, seeing James made me think of Harry. How are we supposed to be friends with all of them and know what's coming?"

I sighed and said, "Were going to save them, Mia, all of them. Susan Bones won't grow up without her family, just as Harry won't. And if we have anything to say about it, then Molly Weasley also won't be the only Prewett left in the world. We have a plan, let's stick to it, shall we?"

I was trying to sound confident, but Mia's response was a snort before she said, "It's a good plan, but it's going to take a lot of work, and no matter how much theory you have under your belt, it's nothing like casting a spell, and it will be a long time before we start any of those plans. So how do we deal with knowing until then?"

I smile and pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head while I say, "For now we will be the catalyst, we make sure the boys become the Marauders and make the map, and we make sure that by the time we start to implement our plan, they will all be ready."

I hear Mia hum in agreement as she sips her drink, and then says, "I guess there goes my chances of being Head Girl."

It was my turn to snort. "You know Lily and James are supposed to be Head Boy and Girl."

"Yes, I know, Rorie! But you and I both know Dumbledore did that to get Lily and James together. What if they get together sooner, then maybe someone more responsible could be Head Boy and Girl."

Ugh, what was with this girl and her desperate need to be Head Girl? I thought going through a war would finally sort out her priorities, but clearly I was wrong. "Priorities, Mia, let's just make it through the sorting tomorrow, shall we?"

And with that, I got up and started heading for my room, leaving Mia to ponder whether she would ever get that Head Girl badge.