I must thank each and everyone of you who has taken the time to read follow and favourite this game of words. I truly wonder how you find me as i never advertise in any group, and shall never do it. So this being said, this has still no beta,and the characters still belong to JK. Rowling

Chapter 20

When the old lift at last reach the third floor it open its gates, in front of two engrave doors painted in beige with gold arabesque highlighting the sculptures of the wood. The groom open them and stepping to the side bow slightly to allowed the group of travelers to see the magnificence of the foyer, used as well as living room. Two big windows at the far end, were letting the light,of this winter day bathe the room, in a grey luminous gloom. On each sides facing each other were two monumentals red marbles chimney where a few logs were burning,providing a nice heat. Each chimneys were surrounded by two doors. The groom asked if he could be of any help, but the answer being a collective no,left closing the doors behind him. Minerva look around her , but had no time for a word,before mr Etherslumber spoke.

You ladies have each one a room, me and Jason, will share the last one as it will be easier for me to keep an eye on him. So let's look around to see which room has two beds, the others three will be for you.

None of them utter a word but you could see on their faces, that they were not really happy to be boss around and taken care of like children. Everyone had forgotten that Siena Martin was still with them,when she started speaking.

All right as you see they are two chimneys, and like i told you before, we live amongst muggles,the hotel is half wizard half muggle, and this suite is one of them. On your left facing the window is a normal fireplace but the one on the right can be use to floo where ever you like. With a flourish of her wand a stack of papers appear in Siena hand. Those are the places you can floo to,without being caught by muggles.

Thank you Siena, i think I'm gonna change and head to my parents place ,i would love to spend as much time as possible with them.

Right, miss Granger our chauffeur will drive you where ever you like, that is a minimum, we can do ,for the person who help Harry Potter to defeat the worst wizard, our community had to face, after Grindelwald.

Blushing Hermione thank the ministry official and went to one of the rooms to put warmer clothings .

Etherslumber and Malfoy went to there room, Lucius was disoriented but follow and did as he was told, the imperius curse giving him no choice.

Poppy and Minerva just wave their wand and transform their summer clothing, to winter ones, they looked at each other and start giggling like teens. After giving some hush instructions to Poppy, Minerva ,Hermione,and Etherslumber, left the suit, following Siena to the car awaiting them. The drive to the Wilkins house passed like a blurred . Siena proposed to wait, but they were all adamant that it wasn't necessary . As soon as the car left, Hermione direct her steps to the door. Once there she look at her headmistress to get the strength she was needing to ring the bell. Minerva gave her a node and avery tender smile. This help, settle Hermione nerves, her finger press the button,

Behind the door the faint noise of footsteps could be heard. Suddenly the door was open by a middle age woman the copy of Hermione with just a few lines, around the eyes. The woman smile to the people on her doorstep, before words could be exchange, the life burning in her eyes was extinguished, Minerva catch the woman by the arm, before she fell to the floor. Hermione was so shocked ,that she was paralysed her brain trying to process what just happened. Mr Etherslumber pushed her in the back,to enter the house and close the door behind him. A voice was heard from the salon* who is it love?*

As no answer came the man step out of the room,and was met by the same spell as his wife.

Hermione was render furious by the actions of the mind healer. Without warning she turn to face him and slap him across the face stuttering

How dare ? you acted without warning me, you could have at least let me say hello to them, let me explain them what i have done ,let them the choice to remain the Wilkins or to be again the Grangers.

Tears were running down her face her breathing quickened ,she was beginning to suffocate, Minerva touch her shoulder from the side trying to divert her from the sight of the healer, seeing that her light touch was useless she pulled the sobbing girl in her arms holding her tight to her chest while drawing soothing patterns on her tense back.

The healer wasn't even surprised by Hermione outburst. He just looked at her like she was an absurd child having a tantrum.

I didn't tell you anything, for your own good, you want to get your parents back,yes? Well telling them beforehand what you had done and what i was going to do, would have confuse them, and made the recovery or their memory, a hazardous out come. The way i process is safer .

So may i start or are you going to whine like a spoiled child . I know that you like to know everything that you ask questions after questions driving people mad. You like to control everything but know young lady that i didn't came with you for your selfish pride, i came to help lord Malfoy,i owe him a debt of life, he saved my wife and son to be born, during a death eater raid. As your presence seems to sooth him, the only way to help him is to help you. So are we clear?

Hermione eyes were open so wide a few more words and they would have pop out of their sockets , no one had ever spoken to her like that, so directly putting her back where she belong, amongst the people who were scholars but enable to act without reading instructions in books. Academic knowledge is great but instincts is what make real intelligence. On those words Etherslumber turn his back to Hermione ,and walk toward the couple seated on the sofa, looking like corpse emptied of life. He approached them smiling he went first to the husband looked him in the eyes ,a flick of his hand send him to sleep in a blink the same was done to the wife. The wandless action was so fast that no one had time to see any movement. As for lord Malfoy he enter their mind and the images appeared on the walk behind them. He dig through the recent memories to reach the time were you could see them ceasing to be Granger, and starting to think about themselves as Wilkins.

Hermione was still crying on the head mistress shoulder, mortified to have been chastised like a stupid child enable to act without books. All her life she had been prize for her good marks, no one ever had told her ... but no not true Snape had also told her that she was only regurgitating her books without understanding them. At that time she had thought it was out of prejudice against Gryffindor and frustration to see her always first of all her others classes. Now to have it told by a total stranger, base on what he knew of her just thorough what people spoke about her, was humiliating .

The mind healer looked at Hermione frowning, he couldn't understand why she was so upset , her obliviate spell work on her parents had been done very properly like a mind healer would have done it to help a patient in distress. She shouldn't be so upset. He open his mouth to tell heher so,but refrain when he saw anger sadness and fear battling in her eyes, instead he ask her if she was ready to answer the many questions her parents will probably ask as soon as he had finish to restore their memories of her.

Please give me a few minutes to go refresh myself i wouldn't like them to see me with red eyes

Of course take your time, for now they are sleeping,i will not restore their memories and wake them before you are presentable.

Hermione look around to find the bathroom were she splashed cold water on her face . Once she felt better, she joined the group again.

She node to the healer. He didn't wait and started directly to chant the counter spell. Soon after the few first words were spoken, the images on the wall started to become more and more vivid. After a last flick of his wand the Grangers woke up slowly. Their eyes flutter looking all around with that question of where were they, once Hermione was spotted a smile came to illuminate Jane face. Richard was more confused he was wondering who were all those strangers with her daughter. Before any of them could speak Hermione run to hug her genitors in a suffocating embrace.

Mum ,dad, I'm so sorry!

They looked confuse,but Minerva always the diplomatic woman, step forward to pull Hermione from her mother lap.

Hermione dear,would you like me to explain to your parents?,you are so confused that i am not sure anyone could understand you.

Yes please headmistress.

Richard looked confuse ,speaking for the first time asking what was going on.

Mrs ,Mr Granger, i suppose you remember me i am Minerva McGonagall headmistress of Hogwarts. Yes? Good. I shall ask you to listen without questions, i shall answer you once I'll have finish telling you what we came to say, is this agreeable for you?

Without waiting Minerva started telling them about the life of their daughter away from home. She told them everything. Harry, Ron Hermione fighting a war that adults couldn't fight, she told them Voldemort's death eaters their blood prejudices, the way they attack the families of the muggle born wizards to stop them fighting him, and to make them agreed to become sex slaves to his depraved soldiers.She explain why Hermione erase herself from their life to protect them, as she was the head of the resistance she was number second wanted after Harry, she told them why Hermione didn't told them. Minerva spoke for over two hours, when she came to the end of her narrative. A heavy silence surround all the one present in the living room. Jane had tears running down her cheeks. Richard was stunned. Etherslumber was chock never in one million years could have his thought that this young know it all woman, had done so much for the wizarding world , a world who never welcome her fully, yes he had judged her base on what he had heard, he was as much as guilty as the ones who had bullied her when she was younger.

Hermione was looking at her hands, she was waiting to be screamed at, to be rejected, she was waiting for the worse, she had no hope to reconcile with her parents. She certainly wasn't expecting to be crushed in a hug by both her mum and dad at once. Both of them cover her of kisses. They had no words at the present time, but sure they will have a talk later.

Hermione looked up to her friend and headmistress with a watery smile. Minerva being the strong woman, ask for the kitchen where she went to prepare a pot of strong tea for everyone. A tea that she spike with firewhisky coming from a bottle she had in one of the pockets of her traveling cloak.

to be continued. ...