Hermione arrived at the Heathrow portkey terminal feeling very jetlagged and trying her hardest not to throw up her breakfast. After the nausea from the portkey passed, Hermione looked around, easily spotting the familiar red hair of the Weasley family. She headed over to meet them.

"Hey," she said awkwardly. What else could she say after the last decade?

Ron glanced at her with his one real eye. The other, of course, had been replaced with an eye like that of their late former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and retired auror, Alastor Moody. Not only that, but he was similarly scarred to the old auror.

The other Weasleys had plenty of scars themselves, of course (George was missing a whole ear), but Ron by far had the most scars.

"Hey," said Ginny, smiling at the older girl. Her smile, however, did not quite reach her eyes.

All the other remaining Weasleys – Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, and George – gave their greetings. All, like Ginny, had a sad smile on their face. It didn't take a genius to figure out why; after all, there were two of them who were not here who otherwise would have along side someone else who would undoubtedly be here as well.

Molly, of course, would then envelop Hermione in a tight hug.

The others would follow her lead.

Arthur cleared his throat. "There's uh… there are some reporters out there, waiting for you."

Hermione sighed. This was not unexpected. After all, she was the long-lost friend of the famous "Boy-Who-Lived," Harry Potter. And anything or anyone associated would immediately attract loads of media attention, even over a decade after Harry's death at his own hands.

"I'll talk to them," she said.

"Are you sure? You don't have to," George replied.

"I don't particularly want to," she said, "but I might as well tell them something."

And with that, they walked out the doors from the portkey station and out to face the reporters.

Amidst the camera flashes, a few came up to their group asking questions.

Hermione cast a Sonorous charm. "Quiet please!"

The chatter died down.

"Thank you. Now, one at a time." She cancelled her charm.

"Ms. Granger, where have you been for the last several years?"

"St. John's, Newfoundland. Next question."

"What were you doing in Canada?"

"Escaping the war. I'm a muggle-born and also not much of a fighter. Staying would have meant my death."

And the questions continued – some accusatory; "why did you abandon your friends?" some more sympathetic; "did you miss all of your friends from here?" – until Rita Skeeter said, "if you could go back and changed what happened – with Harry, that is – would you?"

Hermione smiled at the reporter, nodding. "Yes." Under her breath, so quiet only Ginny, who was standing right next to her could maybe have heard, she added, "I would do anything for her."

After that, a couple more questions were asked – "what are your plans now?" (Hermione declined to answer) and, "do you plan on travelling again?" (Hermione said she did not). Hermione announced that she was done with the questions, and she and the Weasleys left and took a portkey to the Weasley family home, The Burrow.

Once there, Hermione was told that she could sleep in Ginny's old bedroom for now. At least until she had a place of her own.

The Burrow hadn't changed much, save for some newer furniture. The same clock was still hanging on the wall. Alongside the Weasleys, Luna, Neville, and Hermione also had hands. Hermione's had been added shortly before she left for Newfoundland. Hanging on the wall next to the clock were three more hands – Fred, Percy, and Harry. That last hand had never even been on the clock, but Molly had insisted on at least making one.

Hermione started over to the stairs but stopped by the fireplace. On the mantle were 9 Order of Merlin medals – once for each Weasley. In the most prominent positions were the medals awarded posthumously to the two missing Weasleys: Fred and Percy.

Hermione smiled sadly, then turned away and walked up the stairs to her new temporary room. Ginny followed her. Ron looked like he wanted to follow as well, but he did not.

Once in the room, Hermione dropped her trunk at the foot of the bed, then sat down on the bed, leaning against the wall. Ginny sat down next to her.

Ginny's old room had been stripped of some of Ginny's belongings after she had moved out, but many of the old decorations still remained. The Holyhead Harpies posters were faded, but they were still animated. Ginny's old desk still had a few of her textbooks from Hogwarts stack on top of it.

"How're you feeling?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Jet lagged, I guess?"

"Jet lagged?"

"A muggle term. Means I have yet to adjust to the time difference. I had to wake up at 3 in the morning Newfoundland time to get my portkey on time."

Ginny nodded. "So… her? You said you would do anything for her."

Hermione smiled. "Yeah… I would."

"Well who is her? Harry? Last I checked, Harry was a him."

Hermione shook her head. She might as well tell Ginny. Ginny could be trusted – after all, she was friends with Luna Lovegood. "No. She was a her." Hermione sighed. "Or at least, she was supposed to be. You know, it happens sometimes."

"Like Luna, then?"

Hermione nodded. "Exactly like Luna."

Ginny sighed. "Is that why she…"

"Why she… did what she did?"

Ginny nodded.

"A part of it." Hermione paused, wondering how to say this. "Before she… did it…she left a note for me. I found it on my bed when I went up to put my books away. That's how I knew to tell people. She didn't tell me how she planned to do it, of course."

"What did the note say, Hermione?" Ginny asked. She looked curious, but nervous about what she might find out.

Hermione sighed. "A lot of things. She talked about her aunt and uncle and how they hated her. She wanted to come out and finally live as herself, but she wasn't sure how anyone would have reacted. And her aunt and uncle definitely would have taken it very badly." She paused, picturing the note in her mind. She had read it so many times, she had entirely memorized it. "She said she would rather die in private, away from the eyes of the entire school, than to die facing a dragon for their entertainment. She of course mentioned how there always seemed to be something happening that made people hate her – something she had no control over." Hermione licked her lips, which had gotten a bit dry. "She of course mentioned Ron in the note. She missed him so much."

"Maybe don't tell Ron that part? He already feels extremely guilty for abandoning Harry like that. It… it made him throw himself into fighting Death Eaters a lot more than he might otherwise would have."

Hermione nodded. "I won't. Anyway, after telling me all the whys, she apologised to me. Of course she didn't need to… but she did. Anyway, she actually didn't sign with 'Harry.'"

Ginny shook her head. "Of course not. She probably chose a new name. What did she sign?"

"Heather Lily Potter. In a postscript, she explained that Sirius had told her that her parents would have named her Heather – and of course, Lily was her mum's name."

"It's a pretty name," Ginny said. "I wish… I wish she had been able to come out to us."

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "And your massive crush?"

Ginny flushed. "Would have just as easily have been on a girl as a boy. You probably haven't heard, but I'm actually bi."

"Oh, me too."

While the two girls were talking, Ron had headed up to his old bedroom, and sat at his old desk.

He reached into the pouch he always kept on his hip, pulling out a small unassuming stone. To anyone just taking a glance, it would seem that the stone merely had a few scratches on it. To those who knew, however, those scratches formed a definite shape – a symbol, a triangle with a circle and a vertical line inside it.

The Resurrection Stone. One of the 3 Deathly Hallows – items which, according to legend, were created by death itself as supposed rewards for 3 brothers who had overcome him. They were the Elder Wand, this stone, and a perfect invisibility cloak. The first two had led the brothers who obtained them to their deaths.

Ron held the stone, staring at it. He did not know where the cloak or wand were, nor did her care. He had no need for them.

Last he had used this had been shortly after the last battle. He had used it to say his goodbyes to everyone he knew who had died – Fred, Percy, Dean, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, even Moody. He had also offered this to his other family members as well as Luna Neville and Seamus, but all but Seamus had declined.

He thought about Harry. His biggest regret. Ron had yet to use the stone for him. He had been scared to. And yet… he knew someday he might have to.

He turned the stone over in his hand. Once. Twice. Thrice.

When he looked up, there, standing in the middle of his room… was the ghostly form of a teenage girl.

She was probably about 14. She had black hair that fell to her shoulders. She was about the same height Ginny was at that age. She was muscular – had a very athletic build. Most important of all, framed by glasses that looked much more natural on here face than they ever did on Harry in life, were two bright green, very familiar eyes.

"Harry?"

The girl grimaced. "Not exactly."

Ron gaped at the girl. "How- w- what happened to you?"

The girl smiled. "I died."

"I can see that. How are you…"

"A girl?"

Ron nodded.

"I was always supposed to be a girl. It just so happens that in death, I can finally properly look like one." She ran a hand through her hair, the same way Harry would have when he – no, she – she was nervous. "You aren't… upset about this?"

Ron shook his head. "Course not. You are hardly the only person like that I know."

The girl, who Ron figured was his late friend, smiled.

"Do you have a name picked out?"

She nodded. "Heather. Heather Lily Potter. Heather is what my parents would have named me…"

Ron nodded. "It's a nice name. It suits you. Much better than Harry, anyway."

Heather smirked. "That's what my dad said."

Right. Her dad. She had met her dad. She was dead. Ron couldn't keep her here forever.

"I suppose I'll have to send you back then?"

Heather smiled sadly. "Soon, yes."

"I don't suppose you wanna know about how the fight against Voldemort went?"

Heather sighed. "I can somewhat see how it went. You look really rough, mate."

Ron snorted. "You should see what the other guy looks like."

Heather smirked. "Good on you. You survived."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Not everyone did."

Heather closed her eyes. "I know… Fred and Percy really miss you, you know."

"I miss them too," Ron said.

Heather grimaced. "You'll have to send me back now."

Ron sighed. "I know."

Heather walked over to him. She tried to put her hand on Ron's shoulder, but it just passed through. "I'm sorry Ron…"

"No, I'm sorry," Ron said. "I abandoned you. You have nothing to apologise to me for."

Ron let go of the stone, watching it drop to the floor.

When he looked up, Heather was gone.

He slumped to the floor, tears in his eye.

That was how Hermione and Ginny found him when they came to get him to dinner.

He had seen them coming, of course. How could he not with his magical eye? But he hadn't really focused on them until they were kneeling right in front of him.

"Ron?" Hermione said. "Are you…" she trailed off.

Ginny spotted the stone on the floor next to him. "Did you-"

"Call her?" Ron nodded. "I did call her. She… she looked… she seemed so much more… comfortable, I guess. She looked… actually kinda happy. Content, more like. She kept giving me sad looks."

"Well of course. She hasn't seen you for over 10 years, Ron," Ginny said.

"So… how did you know… that she was… as she?"

"Hermione told me," Ginny said.

"Heather left me a note," Hermione said.

Ron nodded. "Do you know if anyone else knew?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't. She might have told Sirius at some point… hell, she might have sent a note to him too. Whatever the case, we never really… well we didn't talk, you see."

There was an awkward silence.

"I have her cloak," Hermione said. "She, uh- she told me to take the cloak. That it was mine now. She also said she wanted the map sent to Sirius as soon as I could."

There was another awkward silence.

"We should head down for dinner," Ginny said.

The other two nodded.

They got up off of Ron's floor and headed downstairs.

If anyone noticed their melancholy mood, no one said anything.

Seated at the Weasley family table were all the other Weasleys, along with Luna and Neville. Those two had been coming over to the Weasleys for dinner every day, not having any surviving family to spend time with.

After eating, they all left for the sitting room, except for Ron who volunteered to wash the dishes.

Hermione and Ginny sat on a couch together, with Ron sitting on Ginny's other side once he finished the dishes.

"I should… I need to tell all of them," Hermione said.

"Probably," Ron said.

"Definitely," Hermione corrected. "There's… there's something else I haven't told either of you. Something important. And I'll need help… so I'm telling everyone."

"What is it you need help with?" Ginny asked.

"Something desperate," Hermione said, standing up.

She walked over to Molly and said something to her. Molly nodded back, and Hermione took a deep breath.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Everyone looked up at her.

"Thanks… uh… I have something I want to… I need to tell all of you. A couple things, actually." She took another deep breath to steady herself. "So… I'm sure we all knew Harry."

She got a few sad looks, but no disagreements.

"Right, stupid question… I uh… ok, well Harry wasn't… well Harry wasn't exactly Harry?"

George gave her a weird look.

"Ok, that's kinda bad phrasing… um… ok, so… you know Luna of course. I mean, she's right here."

She got a couple nods.

"Ok… well… Harry was… well, she was like Luna."

A few gasps were heard. Molly could be heard saying, "oh, that poor girl."

"Her name… the one she chose… was Heather. That was going to be her name." Hermione took another breath. "Right, so… that's the first thing."

She looked around. She watched Luna. Luna herself had a few tears in her eyes. "I wish I could have met her," Luna said. "I would have… I could have…"

Hermione smiled at the girl. "Yes, well, there is something else too. You see, before I left, Dumbledore told me about something. He told me…" she trailed off. "Dumbledore told me about this ritual. It's a ritual that can send a person back in time. Very far back in time. Not their body, mind you. It sends a person's mind back in time. To their younger body."

"And you want to do this?" Neville asked.

Hermione nodded. "Dumbledore told me I should do this… the reason I returned… well one of the reasons I returned, anyway… the other was to say good bye to all of you before I did do it. The big reason why was because I need to do it at Hogwarts. I need to be as close as possible to where I was exactly 12 years ago when I try the ritual. And I can only go back to a time where I used a time turner. The last opportunity for that is in 2 weeks from now."

Hermione looked at everyone to gauge their reactions. Many of them looked hopeful.

"Of course… due to the requirements… I only know that Heather or I would qualify. And of course Heather isn't…" Hermione trailed off. "Anyway, I have to do this. I will arrive back at the end of my 3rd year. Before… before…" she trailed off again. "Point is, in 2 weeks, I need to have everything ready to do the ritual. And I need help for that."

Arthur said, "of course, Hermione. We will do whatever we can to help. What do you need?"

Hermione let out a breath. "I need… well, not much, to be honest. I need to be at Hogwarts since that is where I used the time turner last. Preferably in the hospital wing, specifically. I also need… well, I don't know if any of you know what they are, but to do the ritual, I need 3 items. One is a wand, made of elder wood. The second is a small rock. The third… the third I already have." She paused. "Collectively, they're actually known as, according to legend, the Deathly Hallows."

Ron, Ginny, and Neville gasped.

"Hermione," Ron said. "That's… I have the stone."

Neville nodded. "And… and I have the wand."

Hermione's eyes widened. "That means…" Hermione swallowed. "That means we can do the ritual already…"

"Then let's do it," Ginny said. "Why wait?"

Hermione sighed. "Because I don't actually remember what my course schedule was in my 3rd year. I don't actually remember where I was each time I used the time turner except for the last time in the hospital wing. And I also remember almost exactly when I used it too."

"Then that's it then," Luna said. "In two weeks, we bring Hermione to Hogwarts. She does the ritual, and then she saves Heather and everyone else."

Everyone voiced their agreement.

Hermione smiled at them. "Thanks guys… you're all amazing."