Hermione Granger had numerous regrets over the past sixteen years. Far too many than she would care to even remember.
Oh, she accomplished many things. She managed to reverse some of the deplorable living conditions some house elves found themselves in. Their nature to please and serve humans had been abused by those with selfish aims. Hermione learned more over the years about the codependent relationship between house elves and their human families. Elves who were treated well, were happy and functional. Elves who were not treated well, they had numerous problems.
Needless to say, that knowledge shed light on Dobby, may his soul rest in peace, and the way he was.
Hermione also spearheaded reforms for many of the shoddy educational standards with Hogwarts. It was eye-opening to say the very least how bad things had gotten at Hogwarts and how far standards fell in the last century. Hermione worked tirelessly, with the help of others, and with several people fighting her along the way, to get those educational standards back to where they should be.
Then there was the Ministry and the corruption which defined it. The old pureblood families fought to the last Galleon to prevent new blood from gaining a foothold in the Ministry. Hermione found it interesting how so many prominent purebloods were wiped out by Voldemort, who was supposed to be the standard that purebloods rallied behind.
Rome was not built in a day. Change had to happen gradually. Hermione learned that lesson the hard way over the years.
Hermione was proud of her work in repealing some of that awful anti-Werewolf legislation that Dolores Umbridge helped champion. Umbridge rotted in Azkaban as she should.
A small part of Hermione wondered if the Dementors had been locked in there with Umbridge, and not vice versa.
Although the fact there were still Dementors guarding that prison after all that happened, proved no one truly learned the lessons of yesterday. It had been one hurdle that Hermione would not overcome.
Hermione sighed. For every problem solved, it seemed like three more reared its ugly head. She was now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and Hermione barely got in there. Hermione's many mistakes of the past reared their ugly head, although Hermione managed to persist in her goals, despite past skeletons being unearthed.
A snarky little comment where she compared centaurs to horses years ago got Hermione in a lot of hot water with the progressive magical crowd. Hermione had to issue several heartfelt apologies for a comment that she barely even remembered and did not mean maliciously. Hermione would think that for all she did to help the progressive cause, they would cut her a little slack.
Perhaps it was a good thing no one uncovered what Hermione did to her parents all of those years ago. The memory modification. Only two people knew what Hermione did there.
Well one did not anymore.
Ron, oh Hermione could barely think of Ron without throwing up these days. And it was not because of anything Ron did. Hermione found out after the curse Dolohov hit her with in the Department of Mysteries, she had many complications. She was forced to take a special blood enhancing potion twice daily or risk dying of some very painful blood clots. And it also eliminated her ability to have children.
Ron, oh Ron, assured her that it did not matter to him. However, every time, Molly Weasley made her share of comments about how it's a shame Ron and Hermione would not be able to have the gift of children. Almost as if it was Hermione's fault that she was robbing Molly of grandchildren. Molly subtly asked Ron about his opinion of other girls in their group.
It led to the big blowup. Hermione said she could not stand to be around Molly anymore. And she made Ron choose between her and his mother. This caused the argument to end all arguments. Hermione and Ron got into it to the point where the Aurors had been called to investigate their disturbance.
It was a good thing Kingsley owed Hermione a favor to hush it up. Because, Hermione's past of reacting violently to Ron would paint her as the abuser. The Wizarding World was more sympathetic to male abuse victims than the Muggle World, an aspect which was annoyingly progressive.
Hermione did not set birds on Ron again. Although that was the end. They parted ways.
Not before Hermione modified Ron's memory of the fact she modified her parents' memories. She did not want Ron to spill to the wrong person and end her career before it really got started.
Well, Ron ended up acquiring the ownership of his beloved Chudley Cannons and turned them from a league joke to a forced to be reckoned with. Good for him, although Hermione still did not understand or like Quidditch.
Then there was Harry.
To be honest, Hermione wondered what life would have been like if she and Harry did start dating like so many people said they would. But,it would never work. Ever.
Harry disappeared after the defeat of Voldemort. No one knew where he was for years. Perhaps he had gotten sick of the Wizarding World and their constant betrayal of him.
To be fair, Hermione would not fault him for the slightest.
Hermione only knew Harry was up there when the books came out. Muggle Novelizations of Harry's adventures at Hogwarts. Written by a squib author. The Rowling books.
The official Ministry stance was it was complete fiction. And there was some creative license used in the later books. The saving grace of them was some of Hermione's more morally questionable actions over the years were downplayed slightly.
And the author in question appeared to have gone completely nutters with her fame in recent years, and few people took what she said seriously these days. Hermione was not going to dive down that particular rabbit hole.
Hermione thought about picking up the phone to call Harry. Pick up a Portkey and confront him.
She stopped herself every time. Hermione had an excuse for everything.
Just like she had an excuse for not lifting the memory charm on her parents even over sixteen years later. At this point, Hermione had forced them to live sixteen years of their life under a lie.
She was in too deep to fix it now.
Harry had done well for himself. He taught Defensive Magic at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a multiple time Dueling Champion. Married some girl named Kara who was from Kansas and was an award winning reporter And they had three daughters.
The perfect family which Harry earned with all he went through. Hermioen could not fault him for that.
An owl fluttered on Hermione's desk. Hermione took the attached letter.
Hermione Granger:
Sixteen years is long enough. Come to their house. Or, I release everything you've done to the papers.
Your loving sister.
Hermione almost spat out her morning coffee. This had to be some kind of joke. Some kind of laugh.
She did not have a sister.
And yet, Hermione had to go to the house which she set up her parents in, all the way to Australia, to make sure they're still there.
Harry was the only one who knew.
Covering up memory modification with more memory modification would put her in a deeper hole, but Hermione had no choice. She could become Minister for Magic within the next couple of years, but if this news about what she did to her parents came out, her career would be tanked worse than Crouch's was when his son was found out to be a Death Eater.
Hermione hoped it was just a false alarm. She knocked on the door.
The door opened and Hermione thought she was looking in a reflection from the past. A girl, around fifteen or so years of age, opened the door. She resembled a young Hermione, although her hair was more curly than bushy. And she had the most vivid shade of green eyes.
Eyes which Hermione must have seen hundreds of times.
"Yes," she said.
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the British Ministry of Magic," Hermione said. "I wish to speak with Monica and Wendall Wilkens."
"Monica's upstairs, Wendall hasn't been here in about fifteen years," the girl told her.
"And you are?"
"Katherine Elizabeth Peverell," she said. "My friends call me Kate."
The last name caught Hermione off guard. But, she shook it it off.
"Hello, Kate," Hermione said.
"You can call me Katherine," Kate said curtly before turning to her. "Mum! There's someone here to see you!"
Hermione's eyes flickered up the steps, and a dark-haired woman dressed in elegant clothes walked down the steps. Charlotte Granger, or Monica Wilkens, as she was called thes edays, stepped down the steps. Her mother did age rather gracefully, Hermione would have to say.
"Hermione," she said.
"You know me?" Hermione asked.
"Sit down," Charlotte said. "I'll fix us a cup of tea."
Hermione did and Kate sat on the arm chair. Hermione noticed a picture of Harry, his wife, and their children on the mantle, along with Kate and Charlotte.
"Did my charm wear off?" Hermione asked.
"Harry came and lifted in shortly after he defeated Voldemort," Charlotte said.
"Why didn't you contact me?" Hermione asked.
"Because, you made your opinion on us perfectly clear when you modified our memories despite us begging you not to," Charlotte said coolly.
"Yeah, you're a bitch who thinks they know better than everyone else and never listen to anyone's opinions," Kate said. "Aunt Ginny and Aunt Luna told me everything about you."
Hermione blanched. So, Luna and Ginny knew about this as well? Granted, Hermione did not talk to either of them for years.
"Katherine," Charlotte said reproachfully. "Don't talk about your sister like that."
"But, she's an utter cunt who thinks she's better than everyone else," Kate protested. "She hurt people and yet everyone makes excuses for her. She hurt you. If Dad wasn't here to pick up the pieces and help you, neither of us would be here."
"So, what happened to my father?" Hermione asked.
"After you modified our memories, we really had no reason to stay together," Charlotte said.
"But, you two loved each other," Hermione protested. "And you loved me."
"And that's why it hurt so much when I found out what my daughter did," Charlotte said. "David and I married because of one night of passion. I was an intern at his mother's practice when it happened. You know your Grandmother, Greta. She gave me a choice. Abort or marry. I couldn't kill a child, so I had to marry your father. And I stuck with him."
"You only married Dad because of me," Hermione concluded.
"You really are the smartest witch of your age," Kate said while rolling her eyes.
"But, he was there for you, after Harry lifted your memories," Hermione protest.
"No, genius," Kate said. "My dad was there. Not yours."
Hermione looked at Kate and at her eyes. Oh, bloody hell, what did Hermione do?
"I look like my mother," Kate said. "But, I have my father's eyes."
So, Hermione saw.
"Harry, what did you do?" Hermione asked. "He has a family now."
"Yes, and I love my Aunt Kara, and my half-sisters," Kate said. "And Daddy's never missed a birthday, Christmas, or special event, no matter how busy he might be otherwise. He went to all my Quidditch Games. Seeker just like him by the way."
Hermione just tried to focus on her mother. And not the terror that sixteen years ago, she pushed her mother into Harry's arms due to the fact that Hermione modified the memories of her parents.
"Mum, I don't know what to say," Hermione said.
"I don't know what to say, either," Charlotte said. "I thought this would get easier to face you after all of these years."
Kate shook her head.
"About how I expected this to happen," Kate said. "Are you going to try and modify our memories and make us forget you're here?"
"I…why did you call me here?" Hermione asked.
"Because, I'm tired of hearing from everyone how Hermione Granger is a feminist role model, and a paragon which all women should aspire to me," Kate said. "All I see is a hypocritical bitch who champions the rights of everyone, but only when they agree with her agenda."
"That's unfair," Hermione said. "You have no idea what I sacrificed."
Kate said nothing else. And Hermione once again avoided those eyes. Because looking into Harry's eyes made Hermione feel really guilty.
"Mum, you didn't understand," Hermione said. "I had no choice."
"Maybe I would have understood more if you didn't cut me and your father out of your life," Charlotte said. "Every year, we saw less of you. Did you think you were better than us because you had magic and we didn't?"
Hermione's throat stuck. She could not answer that in negative. Which bothered her. A lot.
"Oh, she thought that, I bet she did," Kate said. "But, maybe I should be more grateful. After all, if you didn't have your head wedged up your own arse so deep you started to enjoy the smell of your own farts, I wouldn't be here. So thank you for that."
Hermione could not bear to look at her sister. Or more importantly her eyes.
"I made a mistake," Hermione said.
"Yes," Charlotte agreed. "You did."
"I'm sorry," Hermione said.
"You are," Charlotte agreed. "But is it because you regret what you did or because you got caught?"
Hermione did not want to know the answer to that question.
"This can't come out," Hermione begged. "It will ruin everything I worked for."
"Your legacy," Charlotte said. "You've done great things, Hermione. I wish I could be more proud of you."
Hermione wished Charlotte could be as well.
"It still hurts," Charlotte told her daughter. "But, the truth sets you free. And you wanted a clean break from us."
"I should have never come," Hermione said.
"And you could not help yourself," Kate said. "So, you're my half-sister. The most brilliant witch of her age. Well, if you don't count Daphne Greengrass. Or Padma Patil. Or Susan Bones. Or Fay Dunbar."
Hermione realized over the years that her Hogwarts marks meant very little in the real world. And it took a while to get people she needed to work with to warm up to her after the way Hermione acted in Hogwarts. She managed it, although it was hard.
Maybe because Harry and Ron made things easier.
"I should be going," Hermione said. "I hope you can forgive me, Mum. And Kate."
"Will you ever forgive yourself?" Charlotte asked.
No, because Hermione stole a part of her parents on that day. She turned to Kate.
"Good luck next week," Kate said. "Break a leg."
Why did Hermione think her half-sister meant that to be more literal than it should be? Hermione swept up her wand and eyed it for a second.
Just wipe their memories. She did it before. It would be easy to do again. Cover up the awful truth.
But, then Hermione would have to track down Harry and erase his memory as well. And that was the one bridge she could not cross. If she was caught trying to illegally modify Harry's memory, it would be the end.
"Goodbye," Hermione said. "It was nice meeting you, Katherine."
Hermione could not look Kate in the eyes.
Her father's eyes.
The eyes of Harry Potter.
Hermione left before her mother or sister could say anything.
Maybe, Hermione would have done things differently if she knew what she knew now.
Or maybe she would make different mistakes.
Maybe, Hermione could not help herself.
She was only human.
End.