Revelation

The receptionist sat behind her desk and was reading the most current edition of Witch Weekly when her day became suddenly much busier. Up until this moment there had been little to do during her shift as many people knew where they were going or asked simple questions, which didn't offer much challenge or effort on her part. She was excited to read the steamy gossip about the new seeker of the Chudley Cannons and an on-and-off again affair with a prominent witch actress who had been dating another wizarding actor. The receptionist, whose own love life was hardly even worth mentioning, ate up all the gossip that she was reading.

But with a loud crack and the ground shaking beneath her feet, her day changed.

She dropped her magazine with a scream of fright and toppled out of her chair. Her breath was knocked from her body when she impacted with the polished tiled floor and with a little effort she rolled over and tried to regain her breath and see what had caused the loud disturbance.

She looked over her desk to see a bushy brown-haired woman laying over a ragged and injured man. The receptionist's brows furrowed together as she noticed the equal amount of injuries the woman had as well as a completely charred left arm. The woman's hair, which the receptionist could see was usually kept up, was now disheveled and her clothes were torn and dirty. The two looked like a pair of homeless people and unrecognizable for who they really were.

Some of her courage and resolve returned to the receptionist when she wasn't immediately attached. She stood and with as much disapproval she could muster in her voice snapped, "Miss, what is the mean…"

Then the woman's brown piercing eyes shot up and locked on hers. The look stopped the receptionist cold in mid-sentence.

"Get a healer her now!"

The tone in the injured woman's voice made the receptionist jump into action for fear of what happened if she hesitated. She quickly sent a patronus message to fetch the healer, well healers. After all, after witnessing someone that could apparate through the wards of St. Mungo's, then more than one healer might be warranted. She then had some presence of mind and sent a second patronus message to the hospital's resident Aurors to come to the lobby. Again, anyone who could apparate through the wards was dangerous to say the least.

She sat down behind her desk as the woman checked on the man and apparently was ignoring her, and everyone else in the lobby.

"Harry," she heard the woman say to the unconscious man softly, "Hang on. We're at St. Mungo's. They'll be here soon to help you. Stay with me."

The receptionist looked around the room and saw everyone was still in a state of shock at the sudden appearance of the two. Many were wide-eyed in shock and more than a couple had taken to hiding behind their chairs.

Suddenly the doors leading into the main hospital burst open and two healers came rushing through. They paused to take in the sight of everyone, before their eyes locked on the man and woman on the floor. With only a moment's hesitation between them, they immediately rushed to their sides.

"I'm Healer Thurston and this is Healer Young," said the older of the two, "What happened?"

"Magical duel," then a moment's hesitation before the woman replied, "And the killing spell."

The healers stopped and looked at each other in shock before looking back down at the patient.

"Uh, Miss," the younger one began, "This guy surviving the killing curse is impossible. Are you sure it was the killing curse?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, I'm sure," she said. Then glanced at him briefly before adding with a hard tone, "I'm the one who used it on him."

Both healers again stopped their work and gave each other an anxious glance. They were not sure what to say at this point, but Thurston seemed to regain his voice faster than his colleague.

"But Miss," Thurston said somewhat exasperated, "There's only one person who ever survived the killing curse. Well twice if I remember right. But he's been missing for over a decade!"

The woman gave him a hard stare, "Well this would be number three for him then," she said matter-of-factly.

Thurston looked down at the man in complete shock as he immediately understood the information she just told him, "Merlin's Beard… this is Harry Potter?" he breathed and then returned to treating Harry with suddenly renewed vigor.

Young gave Thurston a queried look before looking back and really taking in the woman with him. Hermione could see the exact moment when Young comprehended who she was and who they were treating, "You don't say?" was Young's clever reply. Thurston was still oblivious of that fact that she was Hermione Granger as he was concentrating on treating Harry.

Hermione became annoyed with them both and her tone reflected her annoyance, "I do say, now will you two get your wands out of your arses and help him!"

Both healers, hearing her orders and the sharp tone, immediately went back to work. Both understanding at the same time that Hermione was not making any allowances for delays.

"We need to get him into a room," Thurston said after a moment, "He's not exactly stable, but there's little choice here, we have to move him to a room quickly."

Young levitated Harry and they rush through the doors they just came from, with Hermione right behind them. Barely a minute later they settled Harry into a bed. It seemed like hours to Hermione as the healers completed their scans of Harry. They quickly and in even tones consulted with each other as they went. Finally, after what was in reality only about fifteen minutes, they both turned and told the assembled nurses what potions to bring. Once the room cleared out Thurston turned to Hermione.

"Now that we're starting our treatments on Mr. Potter," he leveled her with a stern gaze, "What in Merlin's name were you doing using the killing curse on him? And just who are you?"

Hermione wasn't fazed by the healer's intensely stern gaze, but returned an even and impassive one, "I'm Hermione Granger."

Thurston's stern gaze evaporated and he stared again in surprise at seeing her. Not only did he have The Boy Who Saved Them in front of him lying on the bed, but The Brightest Witch of Her Age sitting across from him. However, his momentary surprise gave way to confusion, "Wh… wh… why did you try and kill him?"

She ignored the healer's question, but asked, "Is Harry going to be okay?"

"Not quite sure," came Young's answer from the other side of the bed. He looked up at her from looking at Harry, "We've never treated anyone who's survived the killing curse once, let alone three times. Plus, the amount of magical energy he's expended is considerable. He's almost dead just from that."

"I assume then you had something to do with that too?" Thurston asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded and sat down heavily in a chair next to Harry's bed. She was so tired, but knew that she would not be able to rest for some time yet. Remembering that she might be in trouble and to let Mr. Weasley know she had succeeded, she pulled out her wand and sent her patronus with a message to him. Just as the patronus vanished, two Aurors burst in, wands pointed at Hermione.

"You there! Stop and hands up!"

The two healers jumped at the sudden entrance and then Thurston turned on them.

"Are you two quite done here!" he exclaimed in an admonishing tone, "What's the meaning of this… over-exuberance in my hospital?!"

"Stay back Healer," the taller Auror said, his eyes never leaving Hermione, "We understand that she used the killing curse on that man."

"Yes, I know that," Thurston replied, addressing them like they were uncomprehending children, "You can put your wands away."

"No Healer," the shorter one said, as he started edging towards Hermione, "She a dangerous witch and…"

Thurston waved his hand is a dismissive gesture to the shorter Auror, "Oh yes, yes, yes…," his tone sarcastic, "She's so dangerous that she's destroyed half the hospital and used the killing curse on Healer Young here just so she can get Mr. Potter help with his injuries. Thank Merlin you both were here to save us from a woman who's about to pass out from magical and emotional exhaustion."

Both Aurors paused in their moments and flashed each other a confused look, "Mr. Potter?"

"Yeees," Thurston said and pointed to the man in the bed, "Mr. Potter. And before you ask the next obvious question running through your brains… yes the Harry Potter."

Both Aurors looked quickly at Harry. They were shocked to see that the man in the bed bore no resemblance to the Boy Who Lived. However, they still weren't giving up on their mission. They returned their gaze to Hermione, who for her part had been ignoring them from the moment they burst through the door.

"I'm sorry Healer, but we need to take her into custody. She used an Unforgivable Cure on your patient."

"And you are certainly doing your duty by arresting her," came a deep voice from the doorway.

Hermione looked up and sighed with relief at the sight of Kingsley Shacklebolt standing in the doorway, looking quite formidable in his colorful robes and general presence.

"Minister?" the taller Auror looked confused. He quickly recovered, "Sir, best you leave. She's a dangerous and…"

Kingsley held up his hand and interrupted the Auror with a quirk of a smile on his lips, "Oh she is indeed quite dangerous and I for one have no illusions to her power. However, I also know that Miss Granger was acting upon my behest to search and find Mr. Potter and try and bring him in."

The two Aurors looked at each other, uncertain what to do, "But Minister," the short one began.

Kingsley silenced the man with one look, "Again, I commend you both for your diligence, however, this matter is under my office's jurisdiction. Now I would ask that you both stand guard outside and await instruction from Head Auror Guerin."

Both Aurors took Kingsley's tone and hand gesture towards the door as a sign that they were summarily dismissed and bade a hasty exit from the room.

Kingsley shook his head as he watched them leave before turning to Thurston, "Healer?"

Thurston's mouth had also twisted into a wry smile at the interaction between the Minister and the two Aurors, but pulled himself back to his patient, "Minister, Mr. Potter is in serious condition, but we are treating him with everything we can think of. His magical core is almost exhausted and he was hit with the killing cure," he flashed a look towards Hermione, "For the third time."

"Will he recover?" Kingsley asked, noting Hermione's ears perk up at the question.

Thurston's face fell and Young cleared his throat. Young looked between Hermione and Kingsley before replying, "Not sure yet Minister. We'll know more in a few hours after he's taken the potions and the treatments are started."

Kingsley nodded gravely, looking at the haggard form in the bed before him. He noticed Hermione's burnt left arm.

"Healer, could you please treat Miss. Granger please while we wait," he asked pointing to Hermione's burnt arm, "She appears injured as well."

Thurston nodded and immediately went over to Hermione, scanned her with his wand and gently began to examine her before asking her what caused the burn. After a few moments of Thurston asking question and Hermione's one or two-word answers, Thurston stood and looked back at the Minister's expectant face.

"Severe burns on her left arm. Multiple lacerations. She's lost a good amount of blood. But even more serious Minister… her magical core is nearly as exhausted as Mr. Potter's," he paused and gave a quick look at Hermione before looking back at the Minister, "If she fired any more spells, even low powered ones, she would be just as near to death. I'm not even sure where she got the power to apparate straight into the hospital," he looked back at Hermione, "She took quite a pounding Minister. More than what is possible in my opinion, but here she is," he finished before exiting the room to get the required treatments for Hermione.

Kingsley quietly approached Hermione and kneeled next to her chair. He looked at her for a moment just staring blankly at Harry with tired eyes. He placed a hand carefully on her knee and she turned and looked at him, her face despondent. He regarded the woman with a warm expression.

"He asked me to do it, Kingsley" she said before he could speak, tears welling in her eyes, "He was in so much pain from what he went through. In the end he just wanted to be at peace and see his family."

Kingsley nodded solemnly at her words, "It's okay Hermione. You have well my friend. Rest now. We can talk later."

He stood and saw Arthur Weasley and Hermione's parents enter the room and stop dead in the doorway. All three were staring in shock at the man who lay in the bed.

"Great Merlin's Beard," Mr. Weasley's comment whispered so loudly in the quiet room.

"Oh my God! Hermione you're hurt!" her mother exclaimed and rushed to her side. Her father quickly joined his wife at Hermione's side and the two fell into doctor mode immediately.

Kingsley stood by Mr. Weasley, "Thank you for bringing them Arthur."

"Of course. I thought it best under the circumstances," Mr. Weasley said, still unable to look from Harry, "Is he going to be…?" he couldn't finish his question.

"Unsure," Kingsley replied with a touch of worry, "But we're thankful Hermione immediately brought him here," he looked at Hermione being fussed over by her parents before turning back to Mr. Weasley, "I'll deal with the guard for this room and wing. Don't rush getting back tom the office Arthur. I'm sure Molly would want to be here and you should tell everyone."

Mr. Weasley broke from looking at Harry, "Yes, yes… thank you, Kingsley. I'll tell Molly now, but I'll hold off on telling the others until he's stable. No sense having this place invaded until we know for sure."

"Very sensible," Kingsley agreed and left the room, passing Thurston in the doorway.

Mr. Weasley looked once more at Harry before joining the group around Hermione's chair. Thurston returned and managed to work his way to Hermione and started his treatment. Mr. Weasley stood back and watched as Hermione was treated. He saw Thurston become annoyed at the constant questions from the two older Grangers and was about to interject when Mrs. Granger explained that they were dentists and had medical training in the muggle world. After that, Thurston lost is annoyance and the three doctors began a lively back and forth, with Thurston explaining the intricacies of his treatments to the Grangers while the Grangers told Thurston how muggles would treat Hermione's wounds.

After a short time of this, Hermione snapped at all three of them to stop and leave her be. Her parents immediately stopped talking and looked at each other in concern for Hermione's reaction. Thurston, hearing the hardness in Hermione's tone, quickly finished tending to her and telling her that she would be right as rain in a couple of days. He spent only a moment, and with a flick of his wand, wrapping a bandage around her arm and explained that she could remove it in the morning.

He stood and the room was busy for several minutes as the nurses returned with Harry's treatments. Then as both healers carried out Harry's treatments, they explained to the Grangers what they were doing. Thurston and the Grangers this time keeping the medical conversation focused on Harry, lest they unleash Hermione's ire again. Once they were done, all the nurses and both healers left with a final comment from Thurston that it might be several hours before they knew anything.

Then silence was the only thing heard in the room.

After a few moments, Mrs. Granger pulled a second chair by Hermione's and sat down.

She looked at her exhausted daughter, "What happened Hermione?"

Hermione closed her eyes and summoned the strength to answer. She was so tired, but knew she needed to tell her mother what happened. She took a deep breath and looked at her mother with tired, red eyes, "He was living in the Forest of Dean, where we hid during the war."

"Why there?" her father asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I'm not sure, other than it was a place where we felt safe during the war. It's possible that he may have felt that he would be safe there too," she let out a tired sigh and shook her head in disbelief, "He was sleeping in a hollowed-out log on a bed of leaves and moss."

"Hermione," Mr. Weasley conjured two more chairs, one for himself and the other for her father, then sat across from her with Harry's bed in between them, "The healers said you performed the killing curse on Harry. I'm sorry to ask this my dear, but why?"

Hermione took a ragged breath as the tears welled in her eyes again, "I found him and tried to reason with him. He kept telling me that everything was his fault. That Voldemort was not the cause of everyone's pain, but him. He said if Voldemort hadn't come after him that half of the wizarding community would not have been destroyed."

She paused at looked at Mr. Weasley, "Harry blames himself for what happened to Fred."

Mr. Weasley face softened to sadness at Hermione's remark, but shook his head. He looked at Harry and said softly to the unconscious man, "Oh my son, that was not your fault and I certainly never blamed you for it."

"I tried telling him that," Hermione said and wiped away a tear, "But he wouldn't listen or believe me."

She turned to her mother, "Then I saw that look," her mother's brow furrow for a moment in confusion before comprehension replaced it.

"The look that he was going to die," her mother said.

Hermione nodded, "I knew that at that moment Harry saw his way out."

"Good God," Mr. Granger whispered in shock, realizing what Hermione was getting at.

"I couldn't do it Mum," Hermione said in earnest, "I couldn't do it. But… but he kept begging me…," she sobbed and stopped talking.

"How did you get burned Sweetheart?" Mr. Granger asked, trying to change the subject.

"From one of Harry's spells."

Mr. Weasley's eyes nearly popped out of his head with surprise, "What?! You two fought each other?"

Hermione nodded, unable to trust herself to speak through her tears.

Mr. Weasley sat back in shock at this news, "Merlin," he breathed, "In my entire life I will never hear such surprising news as that. The thought of you two fighting each other is just… it boggles the mind."

Hermione fought to regain her composure. She was so tired, but knew she had to get it out, "I didn't want to. I didn't want to fight him," she looked at Harry sleeping, "But he was trying to get me to kill him."

"He saw you as his way out," Mr. Granger said.

Hermione nodded, "Harry knew that if anyone could it would be me and that he trusted I would understand, but…," her voice caught, "I couldn't do it."

"But you must have, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, "How?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and felt the tears rolling down her face. Her mother reached out and gingerly took her hands in hers and gave them a squeeze.

"Hermione, I know this is hard," she told her daughter, "But you need to let it out."

Hermione nodded, knowing that her mother was right.

"We fought so long and so hard, but I finally managed to trick him and was able to disarm and bind him," she began, "I practically collapsed by his side I was so tired. He was tired too. That's why he couldn't unbind himself like I know he could have," her voice became suddenly hollow and distant as her mind went back to that moment, "He pleaded with me to end it. He was tired and in pain remembering all the suffering we all went through and what it cost him."

Her eyes focused on Harry in the bed, "I told him I loved him and that I couldn't do it," she stopped as her voice caught again and she barely finished, "but he said he wanted to go home and be with his family," her eyes focused on her mother, "I saw the pain in his eyes. I saw the torment."

She sniffed and looked at her parents and Arthur, "I loved him too much to keep him here with that pain and he saw it in my eyes," she looked at her mother as if asking forgiveness, "He relaxed in my arms knowing that he was going to be at peace. I saw the relief in his eyes as he thanked me. So, I…," she silently cried unable to finish.

Mrs. Granger hugged her daughter tight against her, crying herself. Mr. Granger looked at Hermione in shock at the recounting of what happened. Mr. Weasley closed his eyes in sympathy and felt the tear escape his eye. With the exception of the soft sobbing from Hermione and her mother, there was nothing else heard in the room for several minutes.

Mrs. Granger broke her embrace of her daughter and cupped Hermione's face in her hands, "Oh my precious girl, look at me," Hermione's eyes looked up at her mother's eyes, "I cannot for a moment imagine what you must have been feeling then or even now. But I know that whatever happened, he is alive and here with us… with you," she looked at Harry and back to her daughter, "What you did is one of the hardest things in the universe to be asked to do. But you were brave for him and loved him enough to know that was the right thing to do."

"Your mother is right Hermione," Mr. Weasley said with a soft smile, "I certainly could not have said it any better."

Emma kissed Hermione lightly on the forehead and looked into her daughter's eyes, "Your father and I know that and we agree that what you did was right," Hermione flashed a look at her father and saw his head nodding and his face confirming her mother's statement. She looked back at her mother as she continued, "And no matter what happens, you need to understand that what you did was an act of pure love."

Hermione nodded and then her eyes widened in surprise, "An act of pure love," she whispered as she had an epiphany.

Mrs. Granger looked at her daughter in confusion at Hermione's sudden excitement, "Hermione?"

Hermione wiped her face and looked back at Harry, "An act of pure love," she turned back to her mother, "I understand now, Mum! It was an act of pure love that saved Harry from my killing curse!"

Hermione's parents looked at each other in utter incomprehension at what their daughter was raving about.

"We don't understand what you're talking about, Sweetheart," Mr. Granger said bewildered about his daughter could be crying one second and excited the next. He looked at Arthur in confusion, "Arthur? Do you know what she's talking about?"

Mr. Weasley shook his head, just as confused.

Hermione looked at Mr. Weasley intently, "Mr. Weasley, remember how Harry was saved by Voldemort's first killing curse?"

Mr. Weasley's brow furrowed in remembrance, "From some ancient magic his mother used if I remember right."

"Not quite," Hermione said, "It was ancient magic yes, but it was an act of pure love! Dumbledore always said that love was the only power Voldemort didn't have and couldn't understand."

"Slow down Sweetheart," Mr. Granger said, his mind whirling trying to understand, "We're having trouble keeping up."

Hermione turned to him, "Dad, Harry's mother died protecting him and her love of him helped seal the ancient magic to protect him from being killed when he was one."

"Got that part," Mr. Granger replied, with some confusion still in his voice, "But what about when Voldemort killed him again?"

"Harry didn't die for two reasons," Hermione said suddenly stopped talking and looked away as another thought occurred to her, "Oh that's brilliant!" she exclaimed to the room at large, "She was bloody brilliant!"

"What's brilliant? Who's brilliant?" Mrs. Granger asked slightly annoyed. She was getting frustrated and it was evident when she spoke, "Hermione, you always have had an annoyin…"

Hermione didn't hear her mother as she interrupted, "Harry was saved a second time because the piece of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry was killed by the curse. More importantly, Harry's love for all of us was the second part of that ancient magic from his mother that saved him as well! She knew it too and what ramifications it would have! That's why she did it!"

Mr. Weasley, the only other wizard in the room who might understand what Hermione was talking about, looked at Hermione with some doubt, "How do you figure that my dear? Dumbledore never told us about that part."

"I know he didn't," Hermione said her voice now building with excitement at finally solving a 14-year-old puzzle, "But Harry did tell me and Ron what Dumbledore said to him after he had died in the forest by Voldemort's killing curse."

"Wait," Mr. Granger held up a hand to interrupt, "Harry spoke to Dumbledore after he died?" he asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded, "Yes, Dumbledore gave him the option of continuing with him to be with his parents or come back to us and finish Voldemort."

"And Harry obviously chose us," Mr. Granger said.

"Because Harry loved us," Hermione replied, "His act of pure love to sacrifice himself and then choosing to comeback is what saved him then. Don't you see? When Harry decided to comeback, he completed the spell his mother started! That ancient magic was transferred to all of us by Harry's sacrifice so Voldemort could never hurt anyone again."

"Oh by George," Mr. Weasley said, finally understanding what Hermione was explaining to them, "Then in this case, he was saved by your act of love when you used the killing curse on him."

"Right!" Hermione exclaimed, excited Mr. Weasley understood, "Harry can't die from the killing curse because I acted in pure love. I used that ancient magic he passed on to me on him because we are bonded to him by that magic."

She looked away in sudden comprehension, "And that's what she was trying to explain to me in the woods," she said aloud.

"When who was telling you what in the woods Hermione?" her mother asked.

"His mother," Hermione said to the shocked looks from the three other adults.