She stumbled along the hallways, sobbing in terror. Reaching the familiar
gargoyle, she tapped on its head, desperate to get inside. With a stony
rumble, it turned to look at her.
'Password?' it rasped.
'I don't care what the sodding password is, just let me in!'
With an injured sniff, the gargoyle stepped aside with as much dignity as it could muster. Hermione gathered the shreds of her composure about her and stumbled through, into the office, where three pairs of eyes looked at her, alarmed. Dumbledore rose to his feet, looking concerned.
'Hermione?'
His voice, such a trusted, well loved sound, made the tears flow again. Her knees buckled, and she fell heavily against Sirius, who leapt up to catch her. He guided her to a seat, and, aided by Snape, encouraged her to drink a little wine. As the colour returned to her cheeks, and her sobs died away, the three men exchanged anxious looks.
Dumbledore knelt beside her, his hands covering hers.
'What is wrong, Hermione?'
Swallowing yet another wave of tears, Hermione looked down into his eyes.
'Please, Professor, is Voldemort my father?'
His cheery face looked troubled for a moment as he reluctantly nodded his head. Hermione closed her eyes against the terrible news.
'Why didn't anyone tell me?'
'We were afraid that the shock would destroy you, my dear. It is unfortunate that we didn't foresee his telling you himself, but what's said is said.'
Hermione wasn't listening.
'How am I going to tell Harry?' she whispered, the pain in her voice almost too much for the old wizard to bear. 'How do I tell him that I'm the reason his parents died?'
Sirius leant forward.
'That's nonsense, Hermione. No one is to blame for that, least of all you.'
'But if I hadn't been born, he wouldn't have sent me away, and James wouldn't have found me. It's because of that the Potters were killed!'
Sirius looked from her distraught face to Dumbledore and Snape, both of whom looked distinctly uneasy. He couldn't think of anything to say that would relieve her distress. Oddly, it was Snape who spoke up, saying what she needed to hear.
'Miss Granger, do you believe a child has control over the actions of it's parents?'
Hermione shook her head, confused.
'Why?'
'Well, because a child hasn't got the knowledge necessary to take responsibility for such things,' she said, her tone betraying her puzzlement at his questions.
'And you still think that you are responsible for the Potters' deaths? Even after what you have just said?'
Hermione frowned, her sobs quieting. Sirius relaxed.
'I'm afraid to say, Hermione,' Dumbledore said, 'that Voldemort may soon be coming for you. He is determined that you will be his heir, and nothing will dissuade him. You may be the key to his downfall.'
Hermione stared at him, feeling terror work away at her already battered heart.
*~*~*
She was admitted to the Hospital Wing for sleep deprivation, where Madame Pomfrey could keep an eye on her until she was well rested enough to resist the Dark Lord once again. Her friends were told she had a mild touch of 'flu. Harry and Ron plonked themselves on her bed, ready to hear her side of the story.
'So what's really wrong with you, Herm?' Ron said, noticing with concern the dark circles under her eyes.
'You really don't want to know, Ron,' Hermione tried to smile, but they could see something was hurting her badly.
'Tell us, 'Mione,' Harry urged, upset by the tears in her eyes. 'We'll understand.'
Hermione shook her head.
'You won't.'
'Try us.'
Harry stroked her hair from her face, as Hermione wrestled with her decision. Finally she gave in, knowing that whatever she said, they would make their own minds up.
'You know I've been having these dreams lately?'
They nodded, curious to know what had put their friend in hospital.
'Well,' Hermione steeled herself for their rejection, 'it's all true. I am his daughter.'
She shut her eyes, waiting for them both to storm off in fury and refuse ever to speak to her again. All she heard was Ron swearing quietly, and felt Harry's hands on hers, squeezing gently.
''Mione?' Harry said quietly. 'It doesn't matter.'
Her eyes snapped open. They were both looking at her with concern, concern for her, not that she might suddenly leap up and kill them.
'But it does matter, Harry,' she protested. 'It matters a lot.'
They were shaking their heads, and she resisted the sudden urge to knock their heads together.
'Harry, I'm the reason your parents were killed,' she said quietly. 'Now do you see?'
Harry froze, his mind fighting to deal with what she'd just said. Ron looked from Harry to Hermione, and quietly excused himself, pleading a large amount of homework that was just waiting for him to get started on. Somehow, Hermione doubted it.
'What do you mean, 'Mione?'
She told him, tears running down her cheeks as she tried to push him away. She wasn't quite sure how, but suddenly he was sitting on the bed beside her, holding her in his arms and rocking from side to side. He kissed her hair, and whispered into her ear,
'None of that is your fault. You couldn't stop yourself being born. You had nothing to do with Voldemort's decision to send you away, or my father deciding to fight whoever it was for you. Hermione, if he hadn't, you would have grown up as one of them, and I would never have met you. You mean more to me than the fact that you're not a Muggleborn, or that you're his daughter. All I care about is that you want me, 'Mione. Do you?'
Lifting her head from his shoulder, she gazed into his eyes accusingly.
'Of course I want you!' she whispered.
'Then that's all that matters,' he said, kissing her.
They sat together, sharing in the painful joy of having found each other. They were determined never to let go.
*~*~*
Christmas approached, and Hermione's foster parents were informed of their daughter's predicament. They came to Hogwarts, where Hermione learnt that they were wizards, sent into the Muggle world to protect her from her father. They were trained Aurors, and would now join the ranks of their comrades, ready to do battle with the Dark Lord when the time came. Hermione would spend her holidays at Hogwarts, and be moved to a safe house after her graduation.
The announcement was made that this year would see another Yule Ball, much like the one they held when Hogwarts hosted the Tri-Wizard Tournament, with the exception that all years were to be included. This was to lighten the gloom that had fallen on the school upon learning that Voldemort was preparing to attack.
Despite the injunction that everyone was to go with a partner, the whole school was buzzing with the news. Predictably, Harry invited Hermione to go with him, and between them, they engineered a pairing of Ron and Parvati, who had fancied each other for years. Ginny persuaded Neville to take her, pouring on the charm until he gave up in desperation, unable to cope with the thought that a girl actually liked him.
The Ball was a great success, taking the danger off the minds of many of the students. Even the teachers had paired off, the Snape/Mulqueen pairing surprising many of the students. Everyone knew Snape resented her, a former pupil, for beating him to the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Still, they seemed to get along fine.
The highlight of the evening was the moment when Professor Dumbledore made his Grand Announcement. He and Professor McGonagall were married. They were cheered so loudly, even the house-elves came out to see what the fuss was about. The happy couple led the first waltz, enjoying the attention from the younger awe-struck pupils, and the comments from the older students, who'd probably already guessed.
Hermione was astonished when Snape claimed her for a dance, closely followed by Hagrid, and then Dumbledore. Harry partnered their discarded companions for each dance, each time coming back with crimson cheeks. They discovered that evening that they were the school's golden couple, encouraged to lead all the slow dances so that people could watch and companionably envy them.
Unbeknownst to any who reveled that night, a lonely father felt pride in his heart for the first time, watching as his daughter shone for all to see. And the seeds of revenge were sown in his being, as he put a name to her companion. Soon, he would have his daughter by his side, and then, yes, then Harry Potter would feel his anger.
'Password?' it rasped.
'I don't care what the sodding password is, just let me in!'
With an injured sniff, the gargoyle stepped aside with as much dignity as it could muster. Hermione gathered the shreds of her composure about her and stumbled through, into the office, where three pairs of eyes looked at her, alarmed. Dumbledore rose to his feet, looking concerned.
'Hermione?'
His voice, such a trusted, well loved sound, made the tears flow again. Her knees buckled, and she fell heavily against Sirius, who leapt up to catch her. He guided her to a seat, and, aided by Snape, encouraged her to drink a little wine. As the colour returned to her cheeks, and her sobs died away, the three men exchanged anxious looks.
Dumbledore knelt beside her, his hands covering hers.
'What is wrong, Hermione?'
Swallowing yet another wave of tears, Hermione looked down into his eyes.
'Please, Professor, is Voldemort my father?'
His cheery face looked troubled for a moment as he reluctantly nodded his head. Hermione closed her eyes against the terrible news.
'Why didn't anyone tell me?'
'We were afraid that the shock would destroy you, my dear. It is unfortunate that we didn't foresee his telling you himself, but what's said is said.'
Hermione wasn't listening.
'How am I going to tell Harry?' she whispered, the pain in her voice almost too much for the old wizard to bear. 'How do I tell him that I'm the reason his parents died?'
Sirius leant forward.
'That's nonsense, Hermione. No one is to blame for that, least of all you.'
'But if I hadn't been born, he wouldn't have sent me away, and James wouldn't have found me. It's because of that the Potters were killed!'
Sirius looked from her distraught face to Dumbledore and Snape, both of whom looked distinctly uneasy. He couldn't think of anything to say that would relieve her distress. Oddly, it was Snape who spoke up, saying what she needed to hear.
'Miss Granger, do you believe a child has control over the actions of it's parents?'
Hermione shook her head, confused.
'Why?'
'Well, because a child hasn't got the knowledge necessary to take responsibility for such things,' she said, her tone betraying her puzzlement at his questions.
'And you still think that you are responsible for the Potters' deaths? Even after what you have just said?'
Hermione frowned, her sobs quieting. Sirius relaxed.
'I'm afraid to say, Hermione,' Dumbledore said, 'that Voldemort may soon be coming for you. He is determined that you will be his heir, and nothing will dissuade him. You may be the key to his downfall.'
Hermione stared at him, feeling terror work away at her already battered heart.
*~*~*
She was admitted to the Hospital Wing for sleep deprivation, where Madame Pomfrey could keep an eye on her until she was well rested enough to resist the Dark Lord once again. Her friends were told she had a mild touch of 'flu. Harry and Ron plonked themselves on her bed, ready to hear her side of the story.
'So what's really wrong with you, Herm?' Ron said, noticing with concern the dark circles under her eyes.
'You really don't want to know, Ron,' Hermione tried to smile, but they could see something was hurting her badly.
'Tell us, 'Mione,' Harry urged, upset by the tears in her eyes. 'We'll understand.'
Hermione shook her head.
'You won't.'
'Try us.'
Harry stroked her hair from her face, as Hermione wrestled with her decision. Finally she gave in, knowing that whatever she said, they would make their own minds up.
'You know I've been having these dreams lately?'
They nodded, curious to know what had put their friend in hospital.
'Well,' Hermione steeled herself for their rejection, 'it's all true. I am his daughter.'
She shut her eyes, waiting for them both to storm off in fury and refuse ever to speak to her again. All she heard was Ron swearing quietly, and felt Harry's hands on hers, squeezing gently.
''Mione?' Harry said quietly. 'It doesn't matter.'
Her eyes snapped open. They were both looking at her with concern, concern for her, not that she might suddenly leap up and kill them.
'But it does matter, Harry,' she protested. 'It matters a lot.'
They were shaking their heads, and she resisted the sudden urge to knock their heads together.
'Harry, I'm the reason your parents were killed,' she said quietly. 'Now do you see?'
Harry froze, his mind fighting to deal with what she'd just said. Ron looked from Harry to Hermione, and quietly excused himself, pleading a large amount of homework that was just waiting for him to get started on. Somehow, Hermione doubted it.
'What do you mean, 'Mione?'
She told him, tears running down her cheeks as she tried to push him away. She wasn't quite sure how, but suddenly he was sitting on the bed beside her, holding her in his arms and rocking from side to side. He kissed her hair, and whispered into her ear,
'None of that is your fault. You couldn't stop yourself being born. You had nothing to do with Voldemort's decision to send you away, or my father deciding to fight whoever it was for you. Hermione, if he hadn't, you would have grown up as one of them, and I would never have met you. You mean more to me than the fact that you're not a Muggleborn, or that you're his daughter. All I care about is that you want me, 'Mione. Do you?'
Lifting her head from his shoulder, she gazed into his eyes accusingly.
'Of course I want you!' she whispered.
'Then that's all that matters,' he said, kissing her.
They sat together, sharing in the painful joy of having found each other. They were determined never to let go.
*~*~*
Christmas approached, and Hermione's foster parents were informed of their daughter's predicament. They came to Hogwarts, where Hermione learnt that they were wizards, sent into the Muggle world to protect her from her father. They were trained Aurors, and would now join the ranks of their comrades, ready to do battle with the Dark Lord when the time came. Hermione would spend her holidays at Hogwarts, and be moved to a safe house after her graduation.
The announcement was made that this year would see another Yule Ball, much like the one they held when Hogwarts hosted the Tri-Wizard Tournament, with the exception that all years were to be included. This was to lighten the gloom that had fallen on the school upon learning that Voldemort was preparing to attack.
Despite the injunction that everyone was to go with a partner, the whole school was buzzing with the news. Predictably, Harry invited Hermione to go with him, and between them, they engineered a pairing of Ron and Parvati, who had fancied each other for years. Ginny persuaded Neville to take her, pouring on the charm until he gave up in desperation, unable to cope with the thought that a girl actually liked him.
The Ball was a great success, taking the danger off the minds of many of the students. Even the teachers had paired off, the Snape/Mulqueen pairing surprising many of the students. Everyone knew Snape resented her, a former pupil, for beating him to the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Still, they seemed to get along fine.
The highlight of the evening was the moment when Professor Dumbledore made his Grand Announcement. He and Professor McGonagall were married. They were cheered so loudly, even the house-elves came out to see what the fuss was about. The happy couple led the first waltz, enjoying the attention from the younger awe-struck pupils, and the comments from the older students, who'd probably already guessed.
Hermione was astonished when Snape claimed her for a dance, closely followed by Hagrid, and then Dumbledore. Harry partnered their discarded companions for each dance, each time coming back with crimson cheeks. They discovered that evening that they were the school's golden couple, encouraged to lead all the slow dances so that people could watch and companionably envy them.
Unbeknownst to any who reveled that night, a lonely father felt pride in his heart for the first time, watching as his daughter shone for all to see. And the seeds of revenge were sown in his being, as he put a name to her companion. Soon, he would have his daughter by his side, and then, yes, then Harry Potter would feel his anger.
