The Doctor insisted that they move to the library for the conversation because he knew that it would be a long and intense one…and he wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. He was grateful that she allowed him to hold her hand on the way there and he guided her to the sofa immediately upon their arrival while the TARDIS provided tea. He hated the look of near panic that was still present in her eyes because he knew that what he was about to say could conceivably make that worse.

He also knew that the timing of this information was not ideal since she had been through so much emotional upheaval in such a short amount of time. He was also well aware that he was mainly to blame for a lot of that. However, it was time for her to know the truth. He could stall no longer. Therefore, he sank into the chair facing her, and without preamble, launched right into the explanation of what he suspected had happened that day to bring her to the TARDIS.

Hermione sat quietly and listened to him without interruption. As soon as he finished his explanation, though, he noticed that, surprisingly, the panic was gone from her eyes and that she looked calm, almost resigned to the information that he had just imparted. She even asked for clarification in a very reasonable manner.

"You think that I might be from an alternate or parallel universe and that the force from all of those opposing spells hitting me at the same time, in addition to the momentum of my apparation, somehow pushed me across the Void between universes - which would also explain why I was unconscious for a while when I arrived?" The Doctor was relieved that she appeared to be taking it so well, but he realized that the full implication of what such a situation really meant may not have completely sunk in for her yet. Therefore, he simply nodded and waited to see what else she might want to say.

She sat there, presumably lost in thought for few minutes, before speaking again. "I assume that this is why we have not been back to Earth, then. You didn't want to test out this theory – before I was physically and emotionally ready." He nodded again, still amazed at her calm demeanor. She continued in a thoughtful tone as her eyes gazed off into the distance. "You know so much about almost every species – and yet you have never once mentioned one that utilizes magic. Even though you know about so many planets, during all of traveling that we have done for the last few weeks, you have not once taken me to a place where magic is used. That seems like something that you would want to show a witch, doesn't it, especially one who was recently freaking out about not having a replacement for her wand? Wouldn't you just take her to a marketplace in one of those places to get one?"

She sighed heavily as she came to a very reasonable, although heartbreaking, deduction. She slowly brought her attention back to him as her warm, but wary, brown eyes met his cool blue ones. "There is no magic anywhere in this universe, is there?" she asked, with a kind of tired resignation.

The Doctor marveled again that Hermione could jump to such reasoning so quickly. She really was the most interesting and intelligent human he had ever met. However, he also knew that what he was about to say would hurt her. That was the last thing that he wanted to do again, but she had to know the truth. Therefore, he shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm afraid not – at least not that I can tell. However, since I don't have magic myself, it is possible that I have missed something."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully and then looked down at the floor. "Possible, but not likely, correct? Therefore, I guess there is only one way to find out for sure," she murmured thickly. "We will have to go back to Earth – to England, specifically. I will have to visit some of the places that I know are magical. It's the only way."

She slowly looked up into his eyes again. "Either way, this is not going to be a happy ending, is it? I will either be walking back into a situation where I am now Undesirable No. 1 (since they don't know exactly how or why I disappeared) or alternately into the knowledge that not only are my friends and family dead, but that my whole world is gone, as well."

Against his will, the Doctor flinched at those words and found that his composure was also threatened. This whole situation was coming unbelievably close to his own secret pain for this conversation to be comfortable – for either one of them. Consequently, he found that he could not speak at that moment, so he just nodded again, instead.

Hermione just looked at him and sighed again, but the sound was softer this time. "Thank you for finally telling me this, Doctor. I almost wish that I could be angry at you for holding this information back, but I find that I am just too bloody reasonable to not understand why you did it. You were trying to protect me for something that I just wasn't ready for." She reached over and patted his hand, almost absentmindedly. It was easy to see that her thoughts were mainly elsewhere – even when she started to speak again.

"I've been trying to prepare myself, both physically and mentally for going back, you know. I was too weak…too fragile…at first. However, on some level I must have known the truth because something kept holding me back – something other than the fact that I didn't really want to leave you and the TARDIS."

At her admission, the Doctor felt his hearts clench at the knowledge that he did not really want her to leave, either. He could also feel the wave of affection that his ship sent to their dear friend, as well. He knew that Hermione could feel it too when she gave a small tight lipped smile and closed her eyes for just a moment to communicate back with her. He was not prepared for the determined look that blazed from them when she reopened them, however.

"I'm going to my room now. I think I need to be alone for a little while to get my head wrapped around this. However, there is no reason to put it off any longer. Waiting isn't going to change things. Therefore, when I come back out…" here her clear confident voice wavered for the first time. "Then…will…you…" she paused to keep herself from falling apart. Once she had taken a couple of deep breaths and the Doctor had reached over to take her hand, she continued. "Will you take me back to Earth? I have to know…for certain…one way or the other." The last part was said in a whisper so low that he barely heard it. There was only one way that he could answer her, though.

"I will do anything you need, Dear Girl!"

"Thank you," she answered. Then she squeezed his hand, rose from the sofa, and left the room without a backwards glance.

The Doctor let her go, even though he knew that nothing could prepare her for what they would do next. However, he understood that she had to try. In addition to all of that, he still felt extremely guilty about the events of the previous evening when he had inadvertently stacked even more mental stress on the witch's shoulders. Accordingly, he would give her as much time as he needed.

As usual, the Doctor tried to busy himself with TARDIS repairs while he waited for Hermione. However, his concern for her, his continued guilt over the kiss and its aftermath, and his own unresolved feelings for the lovely woman continued to distract him, so he really was not able to accomplish much. A couple of hours later, however, he pushed himself out from under the console to find the jumpseat occupied.

How does she sneak up on me like that? he wondered to himself as he watched the young woman who just looked back at him with bleary eyes.

"Hermione…" he started to say, but she shook her head and started to speak herself.

"I can't apparate," she simply stated.

"What?" he asked, feeling a bit confused as he pulled himself up to his feet to stand before her.

"Apparate – magical travel – instantaneous transportation from one location to the other. I can't seem to do it anymore." Hermione explained. "First of all, I apparently forgot all about it – just like I did my little beaded bag. I don't even know how that happened. How do I just forget something that used to come as easily and naturally as breathing? However, I must have forgotten – or repressed the memory. Why else would I have not just apparated the two of us across the Vandelvorms' slime trail...or out of the bamboo cage...or out of any of the numerous jail cells that we have been in? When I realized that I haven't apparated since I arrived here, I tried to do it. I tried to jump to other parts of the TARDIS…but it didn't work. However, all of the other magic that I have tried does. I just…don't…understand." This last statement was made in such a sad tone that the Doctor did not even stop to think about it. He just stepped closer and folded her in his arms…and was grateful when she did not move away.

She did look up at him, however, as she spoke. "You said that crossing the Void was a traumatic experience. If that was what really happened to me, do you think it could have caused me to lose some of my powers…and perhaps cause some memory loss, as well?"

"Yes, that sounds Iikely," he agreed hesitantly, even though he was more and more certain that the scenario that she just described was exactly what had happened. However, he could not deny the possibility of other explanations, as well – especially when she murmured again.

"However, I was also hit with several dangerous spells simultaneously right before I apparated. In fact, that combination could have…should have…caused plenty of damage, too. In fact, it's a miracle that they did not kill me! Therefore, one could assume that power and memory loss would be a reasonable result of that attack, as well."

"That's also possible," he admitted.

"I have to know the truth...so I know what I have to do!" she responded firmly and she took a jagged breath as the look in her eye turned steely and determined. "Let's go to Earth."