Chapter 38 – Talking With Tyler

A/N: Wow, the last chapter sure got a reaction out of you guys! Thanks for the surplus of reviews! I keep thinking there's some questions I forgot to answer, but, if there are, you can probably figure it out for yourself…if you're stuck, though, let me know, and I'll try to fit them in.

ON WITH THE STORY!!!

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Harry suddenly went pale. "Uh—Hermione?"

"What?"

Harry pointed.

Hermione's eyes followed the path of his finger, and they widened in horror when they reached what lay at the end: the terrified face of Tyler.

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"Oh no," Hermione whispered. She took a cautious step towards her brother. "Tyler…"

He staggered back a step. "Is all of what you just said – true?"

Hermione nodded sadly. "I'm sorry to say that – yes, it's all true."

Tyler fell completely silent, staring at the ground. Harry, Ron, and Draco stood back, not willing to break up this discussion, which appeared to be reserved solely for siblings.

After a painfully long moment, Tyler finally said, in a whisper, "My parents…they really think I'm useless? They want to kill me?"

"That's just it, Tyler. They're not our parents. They're Death Eaters in disguise…we've never known our real parents."

"'Our parents'…oh, yeah, I forgot. I guess you're my older sister, then…"

"Yes."

He managed a weak smile. "I knew there was something familiar about you…even though we'd never met, I still thought that, maybe I knew you from somewhere."

"And, we look a little bit alike; you said it yourself."

"Yeah…"

There was another long, awkward pause, once again broken by the youngest one there.

"So," said Tyler, "what are we going to do now?"

"I'm going back to your house," said Hermione determinedly. "And I'm going to capture the Lestranges."

"Hermione," said Draco, "shouldn't we just tell somebody?"

"No," Hermione replied ferociously. "They killed my parents. No one else has the right to bring them to justice."

This was unlike anything Hermione had ever said, but they couldn't deny the truth in her words.

"Well, then," said Draco, "will you at least accept my help?"

"And ours," said Harry and Ron.

"All right," said Hermione. "But I'm leaving now." But first, she turned to Tyler. "Would you like to come, too? It's your right as well."

Tyler thought, then shook his head. "I would like to help," he said. "But…all of this…ten minutes ago, I didn't know anything, and my life was normal. But now…I just need to take it all in. Is that okay?" he finished anxiously.

"Of course it's okay," said Hermione. On an impulse, she gave her brother a hug, and he returned the gesture.

"Be careful, okay?" said Tyler.

"Of course I will," Hermione replied. "I'll be back soon."

Four of the five entered the broom shed and selected the four fastest brooms they could find. Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione took to the air, and Tyler nervously watched the skies, even long after they were gone.

For it only struck him then that he may never see his sister again.