Hermione was released from St Mungo's later that day, the healers informing her sternly that they expected her to return if she experienced any unusual symptoms. Theo assured them that she would.

She flooed home with Theo, Andromeda and Pansy behind them to find Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Astoria and Narcissa in her living room waiting on her. She sighed quietly, not sure she was up for what was sure to be a brutal conversation. She supposed she should be grateful that Ron and Draco were in the same room and it was still standing, even if it was clear that they were avoiding being near each other.

"Theo said you were getting released." Harry spoke as he stood, walking over to her and enveloping her in a hug. She fought the tears that had been threatening ever since she'd seen Dumbledore's face, Harry's hugs always felt like home. "I've got you love" he whispered as he felt her tense. "It's alright."

She felt the tears falling before she realised what was happening as Harry swept her up into his arms and moved her onto the sofa, cuddling her into him as she sobbed, whispering soothing nonsense as he stroked her hair.

Theo watched them helplessly. "What's going on?" he heard Draco whisper, out of the corner of his eye he saw Pansy shake her head and shrug.

When she finally stopped crying, Theo moved to sit beside Harry, pulling her onto his knee as he wrapped his arms around her, wishing there was something he could do to make this better.

"Do you want me to tell them, sweetheart?" he asked, looking at her with concern.

She stared at him with wide, red rimmed grey eyes and nodded, collapsing in on herself as the enormity of the day's revelations hit her.

"The healers uncovered the memory of the person who took her." Theo started, glancing round the room. They were all staring at him avidly.

Draco looked shrewdly at his sister as she burrowed closer to her husband, her face blank but her eyes completely bewildered.

"You know them." he stated. "You know them well judging by the look on your face."

Theo nodded. "Well all knew them."

"Who was it, Theo?" he growled as that statement settled in his mind, anger flaring almost instantly.

He watched Theo close his eyes and centre himself and he felt the dread pool in his stomach. Astoria grasped his hand tightly as he reached for his mother.

"Dumbledore."

"What? No!" Ron Weasely was pulled back down to sitting by his wife as she shushed him. Harry's face cycled through emotions, before landing on devastation.

"Are you sure?" he asked slightly desperately.

Theo nodded. "The Healers are taking it to the aurors but we owled McGonagall before we left St Mungos asking to visit his portrait. Hopefully she'll agree and it'll be able to give us some answers."

He glanced at Narcissa who had frozen, her face a blank mask. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, causing her to startle.

"Why?" she said, the word sounding as if it was ripped from her, her mask slipping to show her bewilderment. "Why would he do that to us?"

"We don't know," Theo replied softly, his heart going out to the woman who had been hurt so much, "All we can do is ask his portrait or hope the aurors find something."

Draco and Hermione stood in the Headmistresses office in front of the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. Despite wanting to be there for his wife, Theo had bowed out to give Draco his place. Draco had his sister's hand clasped tightly in his as he faced the man who had torn his family apart. She was pale, the hand that wasn't holding on to her brother, resting protectively on top of her stomach as she held herself ridgid.

"Mr Malfoy I must say this is a surprise." the portrait twinkled at them.

"Is it, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sorry my dear, I don't appear to know who you are."

"Hermione. Hermione Granger, Sir. You might also know me as Cassieopia Malfoy."

"Miss Malfoy!" The portrait of Dumblefore looked horrified. "How…? When the truth did not come out after my death I assumed….."
"How did we find out? It's rather a long story, Professor. One I'm not inclined to share with you. I need to know why." she responded, her voice hard. "Why did you do it? And why would the truth come out after your death?"

"You must understand, Miss Granger, it was for the greater good. As for why I anticipated it after my death? Your removal from your family tapestry was linked to my magic, it would have broken upon my death. Haven't you wondered why you never noticed your face on the tapestry at Grimmauld place?"

"You stole me from my family for the greater good?" she snarled at him as Draco pulled her into his side with an arm around her shoulders. "Can you hear yourself? What possible justification can you have? You stole my childhood! There was a massive black hole where the first years of my life should have been! You almost broke my mother, she was ill, my brother had to live without his twin. They thought I was dead! How on earth was that for the greater good?!"

The portrait of Albus Dumbledore looked at them sadly, wincing as the rest of the portraits began shouting at him.

"If you go over to my pensive Miss Granger, there is a phial underneath it marked lions and snakes. There was a prophecy, you see. That phial contains it. Maybe then you'll understand."

Hermione glanced at her brother who shrugged slightly with a sceptical look on his face.
"We might as well," he said, tugging her over to the cabinet. They found the phial exactly where he said it was and poured it into the pensive. Immediately the shadowy figure of Professor Trelawany materialised, her harsh voice, so unlike her usual airy one cutting across the silence of the room. All of the portraits listening with interest.

The lion born of snakes will save us all

Loyal to the chosen one, she will have to fight for her place

One half of a whole, she alone will always be loyal

The chess-master will rescue her from the snake pit to ensure the Chosen ones victory

Without her, the chosen one will fail

Raised by those thought lesser, she will become a warrior,

The lion born of snakes will save us all.

"You see." she heard Dumbledore exclaim, "Do you understand now why I did what I did?"

She turned slowly to look at him, her face blank.

"No."