A/N well, this far Nikki and I made the fanfic. Now the task rests with me to complete the last 5 chapters. This will be hard and will take more time. I won't update everyday anymore and the chapters may be shorter. I ask you all for understanding.

Also, if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, (and love legolas/aragorn) please read my fanfic 'The Glory of the King' also here, on ff.net - Nanja

REVIEW! - Nikki

Chapter 25: The history of Astrum

Dumbledore smiled. "You are not a Muggleborn, Hermione Granger. You are a member of one of the greatest and most powerfull wizarding families ever. The Grangers aren't Muggles." He started.

Hermione opened her mouth to protest "Why did they tell me they were Muggles,.. why did they DO like they are Muggles?"

Dumbledore's face suddenly saddened. "I'm afraid that has got to do with the reputation of your family... I want to explain, but I rather do that with you privately." He said, looking around the Great Hall.

Several students had already left, but others we're still following their conversation. Four of them carried Ginny's lifeless body out of the Hall.

"Listen, I want you all to calm down. Lord Voldemort is gone. He will return, for that I suggest you all contact your parents and ask them to decide wheter you stay or leave. I suggest leaving is the safest option. For those who won't leave; be carefull. This weeks lessons are canceled untill further notices. As for the tragedy of Ginny Weasley... if anyone likes to talk about it, please go to the head of your house..." He spoke to the students.

He turned to Ron. 'Mister Weasley, I expect you, Mister Potter, Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger first thing tomorrow in my office. And try to sleep..." Ron nodded vaguely, still whiping away tears off his face.

Hermione almost made her way back with Harry and Ron into the Gryffindor common room, but she reminded she wasn't a Gryffindor anymore. Silently, she turned around and walked into the other corridor. Harry and Ron were both too shocked about Ginny's death to notice.

Hermione entered the Slytherin common room, bemused to find Draco sitting in one of the chair in front of the fire. The rest of the common room was empty. She walked towards him.

"Where were you? You suddenly left...." she said, with a shaking voice. Draco frowned. "My father,..." he said.

Hermione's mind raced. She didn't remember seeing Lucius at the ball. "What do you mean,.. your father? He wasn't at the ball, was he?" she asked, a little bit curious.

Draco turned towards her. She could see he had been crying. "My father... had to go and serve the Dark Lord,..." he quickly turned away from her again. "And... well,.. I had to go support him. The Dark Lord used the Cruciatus curse on him and he was badly injured,..." he trailed off.

Hermione felt a sudden rage welling up inside her. What was he thinking? Supporting someone who went to support the Dark Lord? Surely, he was his father, but if her father had ever done such a thing,...

Hermione sat down into a chair. She didn't even know if her father was her father for real. Maybe he was just a Muggle that had to take care of her. She sighed. she would hear about it tomorrow.

Ron didn't go to bed when Harry suggested to go. "....Dumbledore told you to sleep......" Harry said, not really encouraging himself either. They both sat in the common room untill dawn. Saying nothing.

Luna was allready waiting in front of the Gargoyle that hid the entrance to Dumbledore's office when Hermione came walking down the corridor.

"I am early. You should be early too. But you aren't. You are late... Ron's not here either. Harry won't show up either. I think Ron's upset about Ginny." Luna rattled.

Hermione only picked up a few words. "D'you reckon Harry... I mean,.. Do you think Harry's too upset to bother to show up?" she asked Luna, who shrugged. "Harry's even more a mystery than Ron. And Ron's a Weasley, so..." Luna frowned. "Sometimes, I forget what I intend to say,.."

Hermione shook her head and saw two boys coming their direction. She could see Ron almost falling apart while walking and Harry, casting his eyes down and shaking his head. She never saw both of them as desperate as this. Even Harry seemed more broken than after Sirius's death.

Hermione didn't get a chance to talk to either one of them because Dumbledore opened the entrance to his office. The four of them entered.

"First, I want to talk about Miss Granger's sudden... act,..." Dumbledore said, while sitting down behind his desk. the four of them sat down into the comfy chairs in front of it.

"I explained yesterday you are not a Muggle-born. In fact, you are a member of a mighty wizarding family. Your two parents are your true parents, only they have been hiding their knowledge of the wizarding world. They pretended they were Muggles, so it was safer,... your family is one of the families most hated by Voldemort,.." he paused.

Ron was too upset to even notice he had mentioned Voldemort's name. "...This is because of Astrum,..." he paused.

Hermione looked puzzled, Luna was counting the amount of stars on the ceiling, Ron was looking down and Harry tried to mess up his hair so it would fall over his scar.

"Astrum was a witch in your family that once faced Voldemort,.. when he was a little younger,.. but still powerfull. She was the first one to defeat him." He finished.

Hermione's jaw dropped. Luna stopped counting and smiled "679". Ron tried to look up, but his head hung down again.

"Now, this witch, Astrum, her powers are reïncarnated in your body...." he finished.

Hermione narrowed her eyes in deep thought. "So,.. now I have more power? How come I don't feel stronger?" she asked.

Dumbledore pushed his glasses back on his nose. "You maybe don't feel stronger,... but you did attack Voldemort, remember? You really hurt him. Didn't you feel a sudden courage inside you to do so?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I guess there was a kind of courage inside me,... but still,... I don't want to face him again,..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "There not really much to do about it, miss Granger. You are stronger than Voldemort at this moment. You have to face him again."

This time, Harry stood up, leaned over the desk so his face was in front of Dumbledore's. "HOW? I want to know HOW would she be able to defeat him alone? JUST because she is stronger than him, doesn't mean she wants to!" he said worried.

Dumbledore frowned. "That is something between Miss Granger and me, Harry. It's not your bussiness what she's going to do with her powers,.." Dumbledore stated.

"And not YOURS either! The Prophecy is also about ME! It told nothing of her!" Harry replied brisk.

"The Prophecy is nothing to rely on this very moment. As for my bussiness... I'm afraid it is... I gave her the power" Dumbledore replied calmly.

Hermione grabbed Harry's shoulder and softly pulled him back into his chair. "I... I think it's alright,... I need to get some... sleep I guess..." Hermione said, confused.

"And as for Ginny,..." Dumbledore started, serious. Ron looked up and Harry's attention for Hermione's problem was gone. "Ginny will be burried at Hogwarts, like your parents want. Tomorrow your family will come over here. Harry, Ron, both of you, I want you to take a break. A long break." He added seriously.

Ron started to sob again and Luna wrapped her arm around him. Harry cast his eyes down and Hermione stood up.

"I think I'm going back to the common room. I don't feel so well,..." she said, while walking out of the room.

Back in the Slytherins common room, Hermione sank into a chair beside the fire. Her head hurted. Maybe because she had more power. She didn't know. She didn't know many things. She didn't know what to feel right now. What to do,.. now Ginny was dead, Ron was broken. Harry was depressed and she,... she was a Slytherin. And what did she get for support? An empty common room. A Draco who helped his father. A father who supported the Dark Lord. And Dumbledore, who told her she had to face him again. And Harry,.. who just stood up for her, but totally lost his attention at the news about Ginny's funeral. She felt even more dead than Ginny probably did.

Harry and Ron didn't speak their way back to the common room. Luna had left them for her own common room and Ron seemed to be more lost than before. Harry wanted to say something. Something that would make him feel better. But he didn't feel better himself either. He couldn't even think of something that would make him feel better. It was hopeless. And then there was Hermione. He couldn't stop thinking about her either. It was so confusing. Ginny was dead, the girl who he loved, but Hermione was alive and he couldn't bare to look at her when she was with Draco. And now, she was more powerfull than Voldemort. That was something he couldn't get. The Prophecy told about Voldemort and him. Not about Voldemort and Hermione. So maybe, just maybe, Hermione's powers wouldn't help any bit. Maybe it was just useless.

Draco entered the Slytherins common room. He found Hermione in a chair next to the fire. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Hermione sniffed and returned her attention to the book she was reading. Draco sat down next to her. "Look, I know I've been a total jerk and all,.. but I heard about you being stronger than You-Know-Who,.."

Hermione put away her book and looked him in the eye. "So what now? Your father is a DEATH EATER! And you support him! How am I to think about this? Do you think I can handle this? I don't know it anymore! Dumbledore's saying I have to face him again. And then what? Who are you going to support? Are you going to stay by my side? Are you going to support your father and his fellow death eaters?" Hermione said desperate.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "That's the problem,... as long as you are here,.. as long as you keep around,.. you make me confused,..." he started, now staring into the fire. "Sarah,.. Hermione,.. I don't know it anymore either. You are making my mind a mess..." he added.

Hermione sighed and he stood up. "I think it's better when we stop seeing each other,.." he said.

Hermione stood up, with a desperate expression on her face. "What are you saying? Draco,.. you're the only one in this stupid house that is on my side! And you are going to turn your back on me too!? What about me? Draco, what about ME?" she shouted.

"I think it's time for you to return to Gryffindor" he stated, before walking up the stairs.