A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for all the great reviews! I've finally gotten a chance to come down to the library and type some more, so here we go.
Chapter 4: A Piece of the Past
Hermione walked out the door and down the stairs in a daze. So her parents were dead? And by the same person's fault as Harry's. Who would have guessed? She would have to tell her friends. They knew that she went to the headmaster tonight. Now about that envelope…What was in it? She looked around and to her delight noticed that she was by the prefect's bathroom. Leaning into the door, she whispered "Pine fresh…"
The door opened and she slipped inside. Luckily it was empty. She pulled a pile of fluffy towels up beside the wall and sat down. Putting the envelope at eye level, she gave it a weary look. "Here goes nothing…" Ripping it open, she noticed that it was quiet thick. She removed a stack of pictures, a letter, and a bracelet. Putting the pictures and bracelet aside, she read the letter.
Our Dearest Hermione,
If you're reading this, it means that you have finally turned 17. Please don't be angry with Lila. We asked her not to tell you until you were of age. Professor Dumbledore has obviously already spoken to you about us, but there is much in this letter that you must know and understand.
First off, know that we love you and that lack of love was NOT why we gave you away. Professor Dumbledore has probably already told you of the situation that we're in. Voldemort is after us. Not only us, but our good friends James and Lily Potter. We are all working against him, and for that we are in danger. We didn't want you put in harms way, so we gave you to a very kind muggle family. Harry, James and Lily's son, I believe is still with them, but they have a powerful spell on them and their home to keep them safe.
It is likely that we aren't alive anymore, and Dumbledore will have told you if we are or aren't. You will find in the envelope along with this letter pictures and a charm bracelet.
The pictures are of your real family. They're all labeled so that you can know who is who and enjoy them more. (Your father always found that helpful.) There are baby pictures of you, wedding pictures of your father and I, and many others. We hope you like them.
On to the charm bracelet. It is most important that you DO NOT LOSE IT. There is a charm in particular that is the entire reason Voldemort was after your father and I. It is in the shape of a phoenix and carries incredible power. But how that power is used is entirely up to whoever is in possession of it. If the Dark Lord were to obtain this charm…You can't even imagine the terror that the entire world would be thrown into. However, if used for good, this charm could vanquish Voldemort forever.
Hermione, you have no idea how much your father and I love you. We are so sorry that you had to grow up without us. We don't doubt that you are one of the cleverest witches in your year. Please stay safe. Good luck in everything you do.
Love,
Mum and Dad.
Hermione dried her misty eyes. So her parents had been friends with the Potters? She smiled. At least she knew they had good taste in friends. Setting the letter down, she picked up he charm bracelet. There were ten charms. A broom, a wand, an owl, a cat, stars, the Hogwarts crest, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw crests, a quaffle, and the phoenix her mother had warned her about. She slipped it onto her wrist. It shrunk to fit her perfectly. Smiling, she shifted through the photos. After seeing her grandparents, her baby pictures, and pictures of her parent's friends (including James and Lily), she came across her parent's wedding picture. She gasped. Her mother had been beautiful. With straight brown hair, and sparkling brown eyes, her wedding dress made her look like a princess. Her father was tall, with dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and slightly large front teeth (the same as Hermione's had been), he was very handsome. The final picture was of her parents holding her the day she was born. Hermione smiled. Looking at her watch, she found it to be past midnight. Putting everything but her bracelet into the envelope, she stood up and left the bathroom.
Once back in the girl's dormitory, she pulled out her wand. There was no way she could risk losing that charm. Pointing the wand at the hook that attached the charm to the chain, she muttered, "perma stickus" to place a permanent sticking charm on the hook. It wouldn't come off now. Hermione slipped the envelope into her bedside table drawer and pulled on her night gown. Yawning, she pulled the covers over herself and drifted off to sleep.
