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Chapter Seven-Dealing with Death
As Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat together in Headmaster Dumbledore's empty office, they each drifted off into their own thoughts about what had happened....
----Harry's Thoughts----
I can't believe this...Ginny's dead...Harry thought bitterly as he sat beside his best friends. He buried his face in his hands as tears slid down his cheeks. And it's because of me...
----Ron's Thoughts---
My two best friends....Ron silently murmered to himself. My two best friends....He stared down at his knees as tears threatened to fall again...
---Hermione's Thoughts---
Ginny.....she's dead....gone...forever....Hermione soundlessly blamed herself. Because of me...all because of me....Her face was glistening with tears as she aimlessly looked around the office. The last time she'd been in here...Oh...right....my parents....Hermione realized. How could I have forgotten....?
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A sudden voice broke all three from their thoughts. They looked up. "So, you three were found at Ginny's scene of death?" It was Dumbledore. They nodded. The professor glided across the room and into his seat behind the desk. "Please, if you could tell me what happened? Hm?" His blue eyes had a slight sparkle, but were slightly hardened by the seriousness of the situation that faced him. Hermione looked down out of shame for what she felt she had done. She heard Harry shift uncomfortably in his chair. Ron took a ragged breath.
"She killed herself, Headmaster," he said quietly, shooting daggers at Hermione and Harry from the corners of his eyes.
"And why, may I ask did she do that?" the Headmaster asked, his chin resting upon his thin, bony fingers. He looked over the edge of his half-moon glasses at Ron. "Hm?" Ron took another ragged breath. Hermione could tell he was holding back tears.
"Ask her," Ron said, pointing accusingly at Hermione. He still can't be mad at us, is he? she thought, looking at him in disbelief. Dumbledore turned to her.
"Ms. Granger?" he inquired gently, leaning forward as if eager to hear what she had to say. Hermione shortly glanced at Harry for support, then looked to Dumbledore.
"She was jealous," Hermione choked.
"Jealous of what?" Dumbledore asked.
"Me," Hermione said softly. "and Harry." The dark-haired boy went rigid at the mention at his name. "Ginny....she had always, well..." she trailed off, uncertain of how to put it.
"She's..she's always had a crush on me," Harry picked up. "And..well, when Hermione and me," he looked sideways at Hermione. "when we...unveiled our feelings for each other, I suppose it broke Ginny's heart." He finished uncertainly.
"I have her suicide notes.." Hermione murmered, pulling the tear-stained pieces of parchment from her pocket and placing them on Dumbledore's desk. The Headmaster took them into his hands and read them. As he finished the last note, he looked up at the three students sitting before him.
"I must say that I am disappointed in you three that you did not report this event to the staff right away," he said, looking each of them in the eye. "But, I must also point out that you should not blame yourselves," the Headmaster's eyes flickered to Hermione and Harry. "or each other," he looked at Ron momentarily. "for Ginny's death. That is all, but if I could please speak to Ms. Granger for a moment alone?" Hermione looked to Harry and Ron and motioned for them to go.
"We'll wait outside," Harry murmered as he got up. As they left the room, Hermione could hear Ron say, "We will?" and Harry giving him a light punch on the shoulder. ("Hey that hurt!")
"Ms. Granger," Headmaster Dumbledore began.
"Please, call me Hermione," Hermione politely cut in. Dumbledore nodded.
"Hermione, I can see that you are quite shaken by this train of events. So much death around you," he paused, as if struggling to form the right sentences in his head. "and I am afraid that you may not want to hear what I am about to tell you." Hermione leaned forward. What is Dumbledore playing at? she asked herself. "This secret may change your life forever, Hermione. Your parents wanted to tell you themselves, but seeing as to their...current state-"
"Their death, you mean?" Hermione corrected him.
"Er..yes, well due to that, they have left it to me to tell you this secret..." Dumbledore paused again, then said abruptly."You are fifteen, am I right?" Hermione, startled by this sudden question, meekly nodded. "And your birthday...it is today is it not?" Hermione started. Her birthday! She had completely forgotten with all this madness going on....
"Yes...June third." Hermione replied, stunned at her own stupidity. The Headmaster rose from his seat and walked around the desk. He leaned against it and took a deep breath.
"Well...here goes..." he muttered. "You're adopted, Hermione. You aren't who you think you are."
"Adopted...." Hermione repeated. "What do you mean that I'm not who I think I am?" Well there's a dumb question....she thought. I'm not the Granger I thought I am.
"Hermione, you may be thinking that I just mean that you aren't a Granger," How did he bloody know that?! Hermione gasped silently. "but I mean something greater than just that. You, Hermione, are not only not a Granger, but you are also not a Muggle-born. You are a pure-blood."
"A..a pure-blood?" Hermione stuttered in disbelief.. "But...if I'm a pure-blood...then why did those people murder my parents?"
"For one thing," Dumbledore explained. "the murderers did not know of your true lineage. Another thing is that your adoptive parents were Muggles, the very thing that the murderers were aiming towards."
"B-but why...why didn't my real parents want me, then?" Hermione asked, holding back tears.
"They did want you, Hermione, but they were forced to let you go. I'm sure you've heard of the Great Wizard Migration?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, yes...I've read about it in a few books," Hermione replied. "Great Wizard Settlements: How Did They Come to Be?, Recent Wizarding Discoveries-never was quite sure why they put it in that one-and Studies of the Recent Past." She ticked them off on her fingers. She looked up at Dumbledore. "Why do you ask?"
"Your parents did want you Hermione, and as I said before, they were forced to let you go due to the Great Wizard Migration...." the Headmaster told her. "During Voldemort's reign of terror over the Wizarding World, as you probably know, Hermione, a great group of witches and wizards attempted an escape from his evil," Dumbledore sighed. "However, those brave men and women were killed by his Death Eaters, all but for one young witch and wizard. They were your parents, Hermione," Dumbledore added. "Voldemort was desperate to capture and kill them-stamp out the bravery spark in the resistance. So, your parents had to escape. You had just been born when they decided to leave the country...but they also decided not to take you with them," the Headmaster concluded. Hermione leaned forward slightly in her seat for the reason, but the Headmaster remained silent. "I am not the one to tell you the deeper points of this, Hermione," he finally said. Hermione sat back, disappointed.
"Your parents will pick you up from Platform 9 3/4 at the end of the term," Hermione got up to leave and turned to the door. "Though I must inform you of one last thing," Dumbledore called after her retreating back. Hermione turned to the Headmaster.
"Yes?" she asked.
"As you may or may not know," Dumbledore began. "You were born at seven'o'clock in the evening. seven'o'clock exactly, this very day sixteen years ago." Hermione nodded for him to go on. "Tonight you will go through a transformation at seven'o'clock. You will be excused from your dormitory and will stay alone in a private room in the Hospital Wing. It is imperitive that you are alone. Then you will see who you really are." Hermione stood, transfixed by Dumbledore's last statement. A...a transformation? she thought. "Did you hear me, Hermione?" the Headmaster asked. "You cannot tell Ron and Harry about this until the transformation is complete. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Hermione replied, turning to the door.
"What did he want?" Harry asked as they stepped onto the revolving staircase to return to the Hogwarts halls. "You were in there an awful long time. It's nearly six..."
"I was getting worried, I was!" Ron burst out. His ears turned red and he looked away.
"You forgive me then, Ron?" Hermione asked hopefully, taking his outburst as a sign of good. Ron smiled weakly.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione cried, flinging her arms around him. Ron was surprised at his friend's sudden rush of emotion and awkwardly patted her on the back.
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Well, there you have it, Chapter Seven...please tell me what you think...three reviews and the next chapters going up! Seeya soon!