So I'm having a major writers block for my other stories and this one wasn't doing too well either. However a few nights ago this story came back to me and I have been writing almost non-stop on this. I'm struggling with the end of this story and how to end it but I'm now posting the chapters that are already done.


The Attack

Hermione didn't sleep that night. While Ginny next to her was snoring softly she thought over what she had learned today. Somehow her conversation with Sirius and him admitting he had loved her mother like that convinced her that Sirius was her father.

McGonagall had told her about how she looked a lot like her mother. And in many ways she did. She had the same face. The same roundness, shape of her mouth, the same ears, the same skin color, the same freckles but the golden flakes in her eyes and her wild hair matched Sirius's. As she thought about it, more and more similarities with Sirius came up. She had noticed they had the same shape of hands, though hers were a lot smaller. They also had the same birthmark on their wrist. She remembered seeing it last week on Sirius's arm while he was cleaning. Her chin had the same rough shape, she remembered her mother's chin was more rounded. Ginny had been right, they did look a lot like each other.

There was still a small part in her that was denying it. The part in her that had created the bookworm argued with her that somebody so not serious about his studies and life could never be her father but her logical, emotional and mischievous part all agreed he was. Hermione reasoned that her analytical part wouldn't be satisfied until Dumbledore had done the test and confirmed it.

When the sun started to come up again she realized that she had lost a complete night of sleep with her internal debate.

For the last three hours it had been focused mainly on how to drop the bomb. She knew there was no hurry but with the war starting soon she didn't want to risk loosing a chance to have her real father in her life. Knowing Sirius like she did Hermione knew that Sirius wouldn't be left out in this war. He would fight and during fights accidents happen.

Yet she knew that wanting him to know was selfish and she wasn't selfish. She thought about Sirius and about how he would react. She had seen the raw pain in his eyes as he had talked about how he imagined the future. She wondered if it would be a good thing for him to know he had a daughter when he could easily loose her in the war. Perhaps it was better to wait until it was all over.

"Hermione! Ginny! Time to wake up!" Molly shouted as she knocked on the door.

Hermione groaned and sighed, this was going to be a long day.

And it turned out to be the longest day of the summer. That late afternoon Hedwig came flying in delivering three letters. They were all in one of the larger rooms cleaning out cabinets when she flew in. She dropped off the letters and waited for them to read it.

When they did there was a unified gasp. Sirius ran off immediately to call on Dumbledore and the rest of the Order. Ron and Hermione stood rooted on their spot. Staring at the paper. That's when Hedwig attacked them. She flew around them, scratching and nipping at their arms and fingers.

"Harry must want immediate answers." George logically explained.

"Hey, guys, get here. They forgot to close the kitchen door." Ginny whispered.

They all stood listening as quick plans were made down stairs to immediately remove Harry from his family and bring him to the headquarters. Hermione could hear Sirius shouting at Moody and Dumbledore for their failure in protecting Harry.

"He could have been worse off than death!" Sirius roared. It was like the house shook from the bouldering sound. "Dementors attacking him! Without us there to protect him! YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME, DUMBLEDORE!"

Hermione saw Ginny flinch as the bouldering sound reached them.

"It's done. Sirius, let it go. Be happy Harry could defend himself." The heard Dumbledore speak up a bit louder than normal.

"HE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF!" Sirius roared. "A boy his age should not have been able to produce a patronus, Albus. You should thank bloody Merlin on your bare knees that Remus taught him that! Even more so somebody should have been there with him! A proper guard, a friend! Somebody Harry trusts so the others don't have to stay hidden!"

"Sirius…" They heard Molly try.

"DON'T START WOMAN!" Sirius snapped. "Harry could have been nothing more than a vegetable today and all you can do is agreeing with the old coot! While don't you all stop and think about what has happened. He could have been worse than death and all because people here think that they know what's best for him."

Hermione turned around and walked up to the window and stared out over the deserted park. Tears ran down her face as she realized Sirius had been right. Harry could have been gone. They could have lost him.

The more she thought about it the more she realized Sirius had been right to yell at Dumbledore. The Headmaster was the one that claimed Harry would be safe at the Dursleys. He should have known Harry would never really be safe. Like always danger would always be able to find him.

She fought back the emotions she felt as she thought about what could have happened. Tears started to threaten to spill over.

"Are you okay?" she heard Ginny ask. A hand was placed on her shoulder. It gave a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I'm tired and emotionally overloaded at the moment… and now this with Harry. It's just too much."

"It will be alright. Harry will get here soon. They won't let him stay there after this."

"If they did, then I'm pretty damn sure Sirius would get him form there personally." Hermione chuckled darkly. "He could have been gone, Ginny. A vegetable."

"I know. Hermione, I know." Ginny sighed. "It seems like Dumbledore is loosing it. He just doesn't seem to know or care about younger people. Like we are pawns in a chess game. A game he is loosing."

Hermione nodded and stared out the window. How much would they loose before somebody would take control of the game she wondered?