"And you were in bed the whole night?"
Dumbledore's bright blue eyes twinkled at them. Hermione didn't have to feign exhaustion as an excuse to close her own. Every bone in her body ached and her head pounded. Even the comforting presence of the Twins wasn't enough to calm her properly. They had only just managed to their alibi straight and Hermione back to her own bed before being summoned to the Headmaster's Office.
"Professor Dumbledore!" McGonagall looked furious. Hermione wasn't sure at whom though. "Miss Granger and Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley have nothing more to tell you. I'm sure you aren't suggesting that they broke into the third-floor corridor by themselves. A feat you assured me at the start of the term would be impossible for any of our students. Besides Miss Granger had nothing to do with Mr Black's incident, seeing as she was in the girl's dormitory at the time and had to be woken up to come and see you. I don't see why her presence is necessary. Or why this is isn't a matter for their Head of House." She glared at them. "I think you three should leave. Get some breakfast. We've got a match to win. If Mr Black wakes up in time."
Silently they filed out and down the spiral staircase.
"Did anyone else get the feeling that we were being scolded and congratulated at the same time?" Fred asked.
"I couldn't agree with you more, brother."
"We should go and visit Harry." Hermione pointed out, leaning against George's arm.
George winced.
"Yeah." He muttered, ruffling his hair. "I feel kinda guilty about that."
"It worked, didn't it?" Hermione pointed out as they changed course to the Hospital Wing.
They wandered through the corridors ignoring the curious stares of the other pupils. Most were wondering how Harry Black had landed himself in the Hospital Wing, especially at eight in the morning, two days before the Quidditch final.
Still, they got to the Hospital wing unimpeded. They didn't notice the man sitting by Harry's bed at first. He had his head resting on his forearms and was completely silent.
"Hey, Harry," Fred called.
"He is unconscious," Hermione muttered. "You know that?"
"Doesn't mean he can't hear us." George pointed out.
"Would someone like to explain why you felt it was necessary to hit my son in the head with a beater's bat?"
All three froze comically, before turning to look at the incredibly irritated face of Sirius Black, sitting at the end of the bed. None of them had noticed her was there.
Hermione swallowed, nervously.
"Well..." Fred started.
"You see..."
Hermione cut across both of them.
"Mr Black, we can't tell you here." She whispered urgently.
Sirius frowned and began muttering under his breath, flicking his wand as he walked the perimeter of the bed.
"How's that?"
"What did you do?" She asked.
"Wards. Now tell me."
Hermione rested her head against George's shoulder and sighed.
"We did something stupid."
"It wasn't stupid," Fred muttered, wrapping an arm around her.
"We had our reasons," George added.
"We went to the third-floor corridor..."
"We thought that Snape was going to steal the Philosophers Stone..."
"So we..."
"Harry, Hermione, Fred and I..."
"Thought we'd try and steal it first..."
"Only it wasn't Snape, it was Quirrel..."
"And we got stuck on one side of the fire and Harry got stuck on the other..."
"And there was monologuing..."
"And Quirrel took his turban off and he had Voldemort on the back of his head..."
"Which was completely disgusting..."
"And he tried to take to stone from Harry.."
"But whenever Harry touched him, his skin burned...
"So Harry put his hand over his face...
"Quirrell's that is..."
"He just broke into dust..."
"And then Voldemort was a spirit and he rushed through Harry, which is why he collapsed..."
"So we levitated Harry over the flames..."
"Fred did, anyway...
"And then we brought him back to the dormitories and waited for him to wake up."
"We didn't want to go to Dumbledore in case it was a Boy-Who-Lived thing..."
"But he wouldn't wake up..."
"And he needed to go to the Hospital Wing..."
"So we hit him over the head with a beater's bat and told Madam Pomfrey, he'd tried to wake up Fred this morning and he'd hit him by accident."
Sirius blinked.
"What?" He managed weakly.
"Ask Harry when he wakes up."
"We're sorry for hitting him."
"No, no don't be. You did the best you could." Sirius shook himself. "I appreciate you hiding this from Dumbledore. Although I'm too tired to yell at you for being so astronomically stupid as to go down there. You could have died! Harry could have been found out!"
All three hung their heads. Hearing Sirius yell was almost as bad as Molly.
"However, I can't say I don't understand. Merlin knows I would have done the same." He added grumpily.
"Do you know what it was?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"What?"
"That allowed Harry to hurt Quirell?" Hermione was unwilling to use the word "kill". Just in case Harry could hear her.
Sirius paused, eyes drifting over his godson.
"I have an idea. If anyone could have done it, it would have been Lily." Sirius frowned. "I'll need to look some things up first. Hadn't you three be better getting to class?"
"Term finished."
"Still, go outside. Get some sunshine. You look dreadful."
Sensing that they were being effectively dismissed, they said their goodbyes and made their way outside to sit under their favourite beech tree, curling up together in the early June sunlight.
"Do you two know what it could have been?" She asked, twisting tufts of grass between her fingers. Fred shrugged.
"There are whole sections of magic which aren't taught at Hogwarts. It could have been anything, luck even."
George sighed, tugging on one of her curls. Her hair slipped loose of her rough braid and the whole mess floated into a fluffy cloud around her head.
"Right now I don't even care. I'm exhausted."
They all were.
They'd gotten back to their dormitories extremely late, but sleep hadn't been an option. Fred had practised the few cleaning charms he knew to try and reduce their clothes from war-torn to merely filthy. They'd each had to shower to remove the layers of dirt and dust. Hermione's hair had been burnt from where she'd tried to leap after Harry, only just saved by Fred and George grabbing her. It had had to be cut out, leaving her with a slightly uneven haircut. She'd braided it back to avoid notice, but the shorter lengths refused to cooperate. Her fingertips were burned as well, but there was nothing to be done about that. George had a large cut across his upper arm, where a winged key had gotten too close and sliced through his jumper. They'd bound it with a strip of cloth torn from a bedsheet, after cleaning to the best of their abilities. Luckily it was easily hidden under his school robes. As well as that, all this had to be achieved in utter silence as Lee was still asleep behind his bed curtains.
"Do you remember when we had normal years at Hogwarts?" George asked rhetorically.
Harry did eventually wake up, luckily before the end of the term. He, Hermione, the Twins and Susan Bones all shared a compartment back to the muggle world. To this day Hermione isn't sure how they even managed to get so far into the mystery of the third-floor corridor. Let alone how they managed to escape. Whilst Dumbledore most certainly suspected something, he had no proof. There was little he could do, especially with the ire of Sirius Black panting down his neck. Fred and George returned to the Burrow, Harry and Susan to the home of the now engaged Sirius Black and Hermione picked up her trunk and walked across London to Lambeth Orphanage.
The orphanage hadn't changed as far as Hermione could tell. Still full to bursting with children who'd rather be anywhere but there. There was only one slight difference. There had been a sudden influx after Christmas (there always was) of children, who had filled the remaining beds, including Hermione's. The social worker's eyes had widened almost comically when she'd opened the door to find the girl, complete with school trunk, standing on the doorstep. She'd explained the situation apologetically and Hermione understood.
She really did. She was only there for seven weeks of the year now so she didn't get priority. If a bed opened up then she'd get one but for now she would have to make do with the sofa.
She didn't get any letters from friends that summer, having impressed upon the Twins and Harry how odd it would be for an orphanage full of muggles to see owls coming and going all night. As it was she was having to keep her trunk locked tight to stop nosy blighters discovering her school books.
So July passed slowly with Hermione spending most of it reading through the collection of the local library (access had been an apology for being forgotten about) under the large oak tree in the garden. It was a hot summer and the other children were more interested in being outside than in bothering the strange girl.
Professor McGonagall's visit came as something of a surprise to Hermione. What with the excitement at the end of term, she'd forgotten about the Orphans Fund or the professor's promise.
Minerva cast a bemused glance around the front garden of the Orphanage. The garden bore all the signs of housing a large number of children. Crushed flowers, chalk drawings and if she wasn't mistaken, thirteen balls stuck in various high places. Stepping over a fallen scooter she rapped smartly on the front door. Tugging slightly at the unusual tweed muggle suit she was forced to wear, she glanced up in time to see the front door opened by a small child. A pair of curious blue eyes stared up at her.
"Hello."
"'ello." The door swung wider open as a large woman, complete with apron and wooden spoon jogged down the hallway.
"Tommy if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times..." She scolded.
"Don't open the door to strangers." The boy dutifully recited. The woman waited until he'd vanished through a doorway and turned back to Minerva.
"Sorry about that. It's chaos around here at the moment. How can I help you?"
"I'm here about one of your children."
The woman laughed.
"Take your pick. We're full up. Which one in particular?"
"Hermione Granger."
The woman's face fell.
"Ah. Well, you'd better come inside. You're not from the council, are you? I'll need to see some ID as well."
Stepping neatly into the hallway Minerva glanced around, smiling at the walls which were covered in children's artwork.
"No no. I'm from Hermione's school. I'm the Depute Headmistress, Professor McGonagall." She produced the glossy parchment Dumbledore provided her with for just this process.
"Ah. I'm Sally. Head care worker. We were very surprised when Hermione got accepted to that school. Didn't think her grandmother had it in her to pay for private tuition." Sally led the way down the corridor, nudging toys out the way with her foot as she went.
"If Miss Granger has a grandmother...?"
"Why is she here?"Sally paused outside the door marked "Library". "Well I wasn't in charge at the time, only a junior social worker myself, I only got the job this Christmas, but I can remember the chaos. This old woman comes barging in here, middle of the night too, wakes all the kids, screaming that her granddaughter is a freak and she wants nothing to do with her. Poor Hermione was left here, barely a week after her parents murder. Nasty business it was."
"Murder!" repeated McGonagall, startled.
"I can hear you, you know." A voice murmured.
Sally winced and called through the door.
"I know you can dear." She turned back to McGonagall. "Unfortunately Hermione has been the victim of a room shortage, and as the children refuse to share with her, we've put her in here for the summer." She twisted the doorknob and crossed the thresh hold, giving Minerva no choice but to follow.
The Library didn't actually have much in the way of books in it, although there was a large pile of what Minerva suspected were electronics in one corner. The curtains were drawn, so most of the room was in shadow, but with her cat's eyes Minerva could make out the occasional sofa and carpet.
"Hermione?" Sally called into the gloom "Professor McGonagall is here from your school."
"What?" There was a shuffling sound and then Hermione stepped into view, clad in flannel pyjamas and what looked like a Weasley jumper, which was two sizes too big, with a large F embroidered on the front.
"What're you doing here?" She paused and rubbed at her eyes. "Professor." She added as an afterthought. Sally, apparently satisfied that Hermione knew the stranger, left the room.
"We need to buy your school supplies. I told you I'd be able to help you purchase books and the like." Minerva frowned at the girl. "Miss Granger, are you feeling okay?"
Despite the tan, Hermione was once again as thin as a rake and her eyes had large bags beneath them, giving her a somewhat alien look.
"'m fine Professor. Just not sleeping well without Fred and George." Hermione froze and glanced guiltily at her. "Err..."
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that Miss Granger." Minerva frowned thoughtfully as she glanced around the room. "I need to talk to the woman in charge of this...establishment. Please be ready to leave in five minutes."
And she strode from the room.
Hermione frowned. Blinked twice and shrugged. At least it was something interesting to do. She dressed quickly and shut her trunk, safely storing her pyjamas in her trunk and changing her jumper for her Quidditch jersey. It wouldn't look out of place on Diagon Ally.
Professor McGonagall returned, clutching a large sheaf of papers in one hand. "Is that your trunk?"
she asked.
"Yes."
"Is it packed?"
"Yes." Hermione frowned slightly. "I thought we were just going to buy school supplies."
"Slight change of plans," Minerva muttered. She shrunk the school trunk and tucked it safely into her jacket pocket. Hermione followed her out into the hall and was shocked to find Sally handing a slip of paper to McGonagall.
"That's the last registered address we have for her. Vicious old cow." She added, scowling slightly. The social worker turned to Hermione and knelt down so she was on eye level with her. "Hermione, I am sorry that your stay here hasn't been the greatest. I hope that you have the best of luck in your life."
Hermione frowned slightly, only just managing to hide her confusion.
"Okay..."
Sally grinned at her and held out a large Tupperware box, which was warm to the touch.
"I know that the other kids usually scoff these before you get to them, so this batch is for you. Oh and one more thing." Reaching into the pocket of her apron, she withdrew a key on a chain, with a small paper tag stuck to it. "Technically speaking you aren't supposed to receive this until your sixteenth birthday. We only have this key because the police would lose it and the lawyers couldn't be bothered. It's been kept in your folder since you arrived."
"What is it?"
"The key to the storage locker which was rented on your behalf. The Will stated that everything went to you, so your grandmother hasn't been able to touch it. Everything should still be in there."
Hermione's eyes went wide and she accepted the key almost reverently.
"Thank you." She whispered, tucking the chain beneath her jumper.
"You're very welcome." Sally grinned again and got to her feet, somewhat stiffly. "Now you take care okay?"
Hermione nodded and clutching her box close to her, followed Professor McGonagall out of the door.
"I'm not going back." She asked after they had walked for five minutes. "Am I?"
"Not if I can help it." was the reply. "Technically speaking you are a ward of the school, although your grandmother complicates things."
"She's no family of mine," Hermione muttered, cracking open one corner of the box. "Ooh, brownies. She was right. I never get any of these." Hermione replaced the lid and tucked the box under her arm.
"Miss Granger, what do you know of magical adoption?"
"Requires two surrogate parents. Done in extenuating circumstances." She glanced shrewdly at the teacher. "Why?"
"It is obvious that you are going to need someone to look after you. I need to make a few owls first." They stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron. "You don't mind if we stop by the Post Office do you?"
"Of course not Professor."
Minerva nodded, pushing open the door and ushering her into the crowded pub.
"I think it would be appropriate, considering the circumstances, that you call me Minerva."
Hermione blinked but nodded following her into the magical world.
It was a long time before Miss Granger realised that there was no way any respectable social worker would let a stranger walk off with a child in their care. Whatever it was Minerva did, I have never been able to get out of her. I imagine that it was like all of Minerva's work...impeccable and impossible to fault. It worked out for the best in the end.
The shopping was complete and sighing in relief Hermione and Minerva collapsed into a table outside Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"Who are we waiting for?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the spare seat.
"You'll see."
Florean himself delivered a pair of large sundaes to their table. Apparently Minerva had taught his daughter.
Hermione paused, licking her spoon.
"Are ice-creams an official expense of Hogwarts school supplies?" She asked innocently.
"What Professor Dumbledore doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides Hermione, you are the only student making a withdrawal from the account this year. You may as well make the most of it. Ah."
A very harried-looking Sirius Black was striding down the cobbled street towards them. Whilst the velvet waistcoat and pinstriped suit could have passed for wizards attire, the large black sunglasses certainly didn't.
Minerva sniffed in disapproval as he dropped into the spare seat, crossing his legs and burying his head in his hand.
"Black, are you hungover?" She demanded loudly.
Sirius, very visibly, winced.
"No Professor." He muttered, sounding every inch the recalcitrant teenager. He grinned at Hermione. "Hey, Twist. Fancy meeting you here."
"Hello, Sirius." Hermione took care to keep her voice down, not wanting to draw attention to them. Although Sirius seemed to manage that enough by himself. There was a loud crash as a stack of cauldrons outside a nearby apothecary, tipped to the floor, clanging against each and every cobblestone. Sirius groaned and clapped his hands over his ears, his face turning slightly green.
"I'll take that as a yes," McGonagall muttered.
"Moony and I were out celebrating last night." He pouted at the Transfiguration Professor. "I've gotten old, Minnie."
"You're thirty-three Black. Hardly old. Still get yourself a coffee, because I need you sober."
"Is Harry all right?" Hermione asked as the waiter brought over a very large, very black coffee.
"He's fine. Little git woke me up this morning. Crack of dawn." He moaned, pouring an obscene amount of sugar into his coffee. "Knew I'd been drinking. Moony blames genetics. Kid's just like his father."
"Yes well, James always did love to annoy."
Sirius froze halfway through taking his first sip and coffee dribbled down his front.
"Have a napkin. Honestly Black you haven't been able to pull one over me since your second year when you framed the Prewitt twins. Besides, he may look just like you but he's got Lily's eyes. I'm surprised Severus hasn't noticed, let alone Albus."
"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked.
Sirius and Minerva both shot glances at her.
"Changing the subject," Sirius murmured. "Why did you drag me out here at the ungodly hour of..."
"One in the afternoon." Hermione supplied helpfully.
"Thank you. Because I'd much rather be in bed."
Minerva frowned but nodded.
"Very well. I need your help."
"With what?" he asked cautiously.
"Hermione's current living situation is ridiculous and untenable."
"It wasn't that bad," Hermione muttered.
"As her Head of House it is my responsibility to look after the students in my care. I have removed her from her orphanage."
"Without asking," Hermione added.
"However Albus requires my assistance occasionally and I do not, as such, have a permanent address which is suitable for the habitation of a child."
"Small words Minnie." Sirius hissed, rubbing his temples.
"She's asking if I can stay at your place for the rest of the summer," Hermione said bluntly, removing a brownie from the box on her lap. "Cake?" she asked.
Sirius frowned eyeing the pair of them.
"Yes."
"Yes to what Black?"
"Cake."
He chewed thoughtfully.
"Why not the Weasleys?"
"Molly has more than enough children to worry about. Besides, Hermione knows you and can be trusted to keep any and all secrets. I can pay you a small sum for her upkeep." she offered.
"I'm not a sheep." Hermione pointed out.
"Don't bother. We don't need the money. Harry will be happy for the company. It's just him and Susan a lot of the time." He frowned. "What are you doing?"
Hermione, who had been waving her hand in front of her eyes, paused.
"I was checking to see if I had become invisible."
"Why?"
"Because it was either that or apparently my opinion doesn't matter."
Both adults had the grace to look sheepish.
"Sorry, Hermione. Would you like to stay at my house for the rest of the summer?"
"That would be perfectly acceptable." She said, nibbling delicately at her brownie.
Sirius snorted in amusement.
"Sometimes I forget you're Bonded with the twins."
"SIRIUS!" Minerva whispered loudly, glancing around to check if anyone had noticed. Nobody had, luckily, but Sirius flushed guiltily.
"Damn. Amy really shouldn't let me leave the house like this. I just not responsible enough."
"Obviously." Minerva checked her pocket watch. "I need to be off soon. The new Defence Against the Dark Art's teacher is moving in today."
"Gilderoy Lockhart." Sirius read with disgust, picking the book out whilst going through Hermione's book bag. "Which idiot employed that pompous moron?"
"He was the only applicant." Minerva ground out, looking faintly nauseous.
"Ah." Sirius dropped the book like it disgusted him. The large photograph of, presumably Gilderoy Lockhart, on the front cover scowled at him before beginning to fix his hair.
"Got your trunk and everything?" He asked.
Minerva handed over Hermione's luggage.
"I'll see you at school Hermione." She shot a withering glare at Sirius. "Try to stay out of trouble Black. I expect her to be in one piece come September."
Hermione watched her leave, striding confidently down the street as Sirius poked through the rest of the bags.
"Honestly that woman. You know she was my Transfiguration Professor as well?" Hermione shook her head. "And Amy's. She never forgave me for that prank involving the ball of wool." He frowned at the books. "This lot can't have come cheap. Can't help but wonder how Arthur is going to manage."
"Arthur Weasley?"
Sirius gave her a long look and nodded.
"It's common knowledge that the Weasley family aren't particularly well off. What with their number of children and Arthur's job...well most people don't mention it."
Hermione frowned, thinking of the jumper she'd received at Christmas.
"I had no idea."
"School stuff is boring." He announced, changing the subject. He began shrinking the bags and tucking them in his suit pocket, along with her trunk. "Come on."
He tossed a galleon onto the table and dragged Hermione down the street.
"Where are we going?"
"Apparition point."
At her confused look, he explained.
"In Diagon, there are people milling about all the time. If you Apparated straight here you might splinch someone. So the Apparition points are supposedly safe. I say supposedly. Accidents do happen." He tugged her onto a wooden square set into the ground. "Ready?" He asked, holding tight to her forearm.
"Ready for what?"
Was the question Hermione would have asked. However just as she opened her mouth to speak she was sucked up into an invisible tube. She shut her eyes and swayed dangerously when her feet touched solid ground again.
"Er..." Sirius said, watching the now pale witch take several large steps away from him, before sinking down onto the lawn. "You do know what Apparating is don't you?"
"No." Hermione moaned.
"Ah." Sirius helped her to her feet. "It'll get better. Honest." He led her in through the front door of the now-familiar home. "HARRY!" Sirius bellowed apparently over his hangover.
"WHAT?"
"Ah good. He's upstairs." Sirius chuckled slightly and Hermione followed him up the ornate staircase, still somewhat green.
Harry was indeed upstairs. He appeared to be playing wizards chess with Susan.
And losing.
Terribly.
"I've brought you a present," Sirius called from the doorway, carefully hiding Hermione behind him.
"If it's a squid I don't want it," Harry replied, not looking up.
"I'm hardly a squid." Hermione teased, smiling slightly.
"Hey Hermione," Harry called, still focused on his chess pieces. He moved his pawn forward, ignoring the pieces protests.
Then he jumped a foot in the air.
"HERMIONE!"
"And he gets it." Sirius applauded sarcastically.
Harry hugged her around the middle and glared at his adopted father over the top of his head.
"Shut it, Sirius."
"Hello, Harry." Hermione waved at Susan. "Hey, Susan."
The red-haired girl helped Hermione disentangle Harry from herself.
"How've you been?" She asked.
Hermione hadn't had much interaction with the Hufflepuff. They spoke occasionally when the witch came to sit with Harry but were otherwise unacquainted. She hadn't expected such a warm welcome. But then again she was in Hufflepuff.
"Can't complain."
Sirius spoke up again from the door.
"Hermione is staying here until school starts again. Can she stay in the room between yours?"
"Sure." Harry began shooing Sirius from the room.
"Righty ho. Never let it be said I don't know when I'm not wanted." Sirius wandered off, presumably to dump Hermione's belongings.
"What're you doing here?"
Hermione shrugged and settled on the floor to watch the rest of the match.
"Professor McGonagall came to take me shopping. Found me sleeping on the sofa and broke me out. Asked Sirius to look after me. How are you too?"
"We're good. Amelia officially moved in. Which is why Susan is here. Sirius finally proposed."
"It was about time." Susan grinned. "Uncle Remus wanted to lock him in a wardrobe until he agreed to do it."
"Black's are stubborn."
"Stubborn enough to not give up." Susan teased. "Checkmate. You lose Potter."
September the first came and Hermione, Susan and Harry were delivered to a Platform Nine and Three Quarters decidedly empty of redheads. With the obvious exception of Susan of course. In fact, the Twins didn't arrive until the very last moment. Apparently they'd been running spectacularly late. They settled into a compartment just in time for the train to start moving and immediately grabbed Hermione in a hug, settling her between them. Hermione breathed out enjoying the feeling of relief she got being near her bondmates.
"How was your summer?" Fred asked.
Hermione who was squished between the twins shrugged.
"I did some reading. Went to Harry's. Did some more reading."
"Played Quidditch." Harry supplied.
"Went shopping with Aunty Amy."
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"That was fun. We went to muggle London."
"Hang on..."
"Did you spend the summer at Harry's?"
"Er..yes."
"Huh."
Both twins scowled and stopped talking.
"What did I do?" Hermione mouthed at Susan, who shrugged.
Luckily the twins sulking was interrupted by the opening of the compartment door. Two first-years stood there, one red head that Hermione vaguely recognised as the Twins' sister, the other a dirty blond who was wearing a dress of patchwork green fabric and seemed to be watching something on the ceiling.
"Fred, George, this is me telling you I'm safe." The redhead complained bossily, arms crossed over her chest.
Fred nodded.
"You're fine, Ginny. You got somewhere to sit?"
Ginny nodded.
"We managed to find a compartment."
She wandered off, her friend trailing dreamily behind her.
Harry blinked, shaking a slightly star-struck look out of his eyes.
"Who was that?"
Fred scowled.
"Our little sister Ginny. Don't even think about it, Black."
"No, no, not her. The girl with her."
"Oh," George shrugged. "That's Luna Lovegood. She lives near us. Nice girl. Bit odd, but nice."
Harry nodded slowly. It took a while for him to talk in full sentences again.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as they settled into the Common Room that evening.
"Nothing," Fred said entirely too quickly.
George, however, sighed.
"'Mione why didn't you write to us this summer?"
"You weren't expecting a letter from me." She shrugged. "I didn't think it was an issue."
"We were worried about you. It would have been nice to hear something from you. At least to know you were okay."
They both sighed this time.
"We could've done something, like gotten our school supplies. Even just to see you for five minutes. This bloody thing has been impossible all summer." Fred raised his wrist. "We could barely feel you."
Hermione sighed, thinking guiltily of the occasional pangs of worry she'd felt over the summer. She'd attributed them to general activities and ignored it.
"I'm sorry." She murmured.
Hermione once described her bonds as a strange itch at the back of her mind. I theorise it is that Hermione's perhaps more disciplined mind found it easier to ignore her bonds with Fred and George, despite her being attached to two different bonds. However, the Twins are, by their very nature, impulsive. If something was bothering them they fixated on it. Their connection to Hermione was much more tenuous and easily affected by things like distance or sleep.
The year passed slowly and without much interest. The Twins forgot about Hermione's birthday again, although she did get a very nice box of fudge from Professor McGonagall, sugar quills from Harry and Susan and a large book called "Disarming the Armed." from Amelia Bones, who insisted on being called Auntie Amy.
Gilderoy Lockhart was, as Sirius had promised, a pompous moron. After an appalling lesson involving Cornish Pixies, the class consisted of Professor Lockhart reading long and dramatic chapters from his books. Hermione in a fit of desperation, after the third lesson spent snoozing on Harry's shoulder, who was well and truly asleep, had gone to Professor McGonagall to beg the titles of appropriate Defence books from the Library.
Shortly after the worrying events of Halloween and the petrification of Mrs Norris, Hermione was summoned to Professor McGonagall's office.
"You asked to see me Professor?" she asked from the doorway.
"Have a seat Miss Granger."
Feeling slightly worried, Hermione perched on the edge of the chair, watching her teacher shuffle papers.
"How have your classes been?"
Hermione frowned.
"Normal." She murmured, feeling suspicious.
Professor McGonagall nodded distractedly.
"Good, good."
They sat in silence for several minutes.
"Professor McGonagall if that's all you had to ask, may I leave?"
"Not quite yet. I do have something else to ask you. I am just wondering if there is a tactful way to go about it."
"Just get it over with and tell me."
Minerva smiled slightly at Hermione's brutal tone.
"Very well. Miss Granger. I believe I have come to a solution to your housing problem. It is my wish, if you are agreeable of course, to adopt you."
"What!?" Hermione spluttered.
Minerva continued as if she hadn't heard.
"I would, of course, be able to provide you with a home, a stable background, support, safety."
Hermione frowned and tried to ignore the panicky feeling in her chest.
"So this is for my safety?"
"Partly." Minerva frowned slightly. "Hermione, I won't pretend. Because of your bond with the Weasley Twins there are those out there that would wish you harm. And as much as we would like to keep it under wraps for as long as possible, we have to face the reality that someday this news will come out into the open. As you are a muggleborn you are at a disadvantage in the face of our laws. As a ward of the school, you are under the authority of the school governors, the characters of whom could be called into question. Anyone could claim you without your consent and attempt to abuse your gift."
"How? It doesn't even do anything. It's just tells me when the twins are in trouble. How could that possibly be of use to someone?"
"I asked Professor Flitwick the same thing. He suspects, and I agree, that your bond is not yet complete. It may, someday, blossom into something considerably more powerful. At which point having control of one of you would be a desirable thing indeed."
Hermione nodded slowly.
"Who did you ask to help you with this? You're going to need a second signature."
"I did ask Filius, Professor Flitwick. But because of his goblin heritage, he would not be acceptable to the Ministry. So I asked Sirius Black."
It made sense. In a twisted sort of way.
"And..."
"He agreed."
"So Harry and I would be siblings?"
"Of a sort."
She sat quietly, fiddling with the cuff of her robe.
"If I may have some time to think about this..." Hermione got to her feet without waiting for an answer and left.
"Can I talk to you guys?" Hermione asked quietly. Harry, Fred, George and Susan, who was visiting from the Hufflepuff table, looked up. "Not here."
"I'll leave you lot be." Susan got to her feet to leave.
"Actually, could you come too?" Hermione asked shakily, reaching out for George's hand.
Frowning Susan followed the rest of them out of the Great Hall and into a spare classroom.
"Professor McGonagall wants to adopt me," she said, without preamble.
The Twins frowned and settled on either side of her. Hermione breathed out slightly, glad to have them next to her. Harry and Susan however, glanced guiltily at each other.
"We know."
"Sirius wrote to us last week to ask what we thought."
Hermione stared at them in amazement.
"What and you couldn't tell me? Give me some warning at least? Even hinted slightly?"
"We promised not to," Harry told her, looking genuinely apologetic.
"Why did Sirius write to you anyway?"
Susan shrugged.
"What with the wedding coming up, we're pretty much family. He didn't want to make a big decision like that without asking us our opinions."
"Oh." Hermione deflated slightly. "And what were your opinions?"
Harry and Susan shrugged.
"We kinda figured you'd be living with us from now on anyway. You're like my sister anyway." Susan nodded in agreement.
"It'll be nice to have another girl around the place. Between Uncle Sirius, Uncle Remus and Harry we're a bit outnumbered. Besides...you're my friend."
"The Hufflepuff has spoken." Harry intoned, earning himself a slap on the shoulder from Susan. "Hufflepuff's aren't supposed to hit people." He grumbled.
"Well, this one does." Susan grinned at Hermione. "See? I need all the help I can get."
Hermione chuckled weakly.
"What about you two?" She asked.
The twins exchanged a glance over her head.
"As long as you're happy, then we're happy."
Fred frowned at her.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think...I think it's insane."
"We'd be family." Harry pointed out.
Hermione chewed her lip, frowning.
"Would I have to change my name?"
"Not if you didn't want to."
"Oh. Okay."
"What did you tell her?"
"I asked to think about it."
"Got an answer?" Harry pressed, earning him glares from the twins.
"Yeah. I think I do."
"I don't need a mother." She announced, without preamble.
"I understand."
"But..." Hermione sighed, twisting her fingers together. "An aunt would be nice."
Minerva smiled.
"It would be my honour. Can I have your signature then?"
Hermione signed along the dotted line, between Minerva's careful print and Sirius' scrawl.
"What's the last space for?" She asked curiously.
"Your grandmother."
"But she gave me up."
"Until we have her signature the Ministry won't allow it."
"Okay." Hermione tapped her feet nervously on the floor. "How will this work?"
"You will spend the summer holiday's with Sirius, as I spend most holidays attending lectures and caring for the castle. You are, of course, more than welcome to come with me. I will cover the cost of your tuition fees and upkeep." Minerva frowned at the girl. "Hermione, we will try and keep this as quiet as possible. Particularly from the Headmaster. I'll assume you've told Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley."
"Harry and Susan know as well."
"That's fine. I'll talk to you when the paperwork is finalised." Minerva smirked at her, a strangely Slytherin look. "You've got a Duelling Club to go to remember."
Hermione groaned.
"Is it true Lockhart's running it?"
"Unfortunately."
Hermione grumbled on her way out the door.
"This is going to be unimaginably boring."
It wasn't.
Because of the notoriety of the House of Black, Harry was considered to be a perfect candidate for the title of Heir of Slytherin. The parseltongue incident, as it was dubbed, did not help matters.
"MAKE WAY FOR THE DARK LORD!" Fred bellowed, causing several Ravenclaw first years to scream and Harry to go red.
"THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN PASSES BEFORE YOU. COWER MERE MORTALS."
"WILL YOU TWO JUST STOP?" Harry begged, ignoring the whispers that said, Pureblood or not, the Weasley Twins were next. "Please. Just go and annoy Hermione or something." He glanced apologetically at the Ravenclaws, a group which included one Luna Lovegood, who was staring at a lamp.
"Can't..."
"She's hiding in the Library..."
"Won't talk to us."
"Besides..." Fred smiled winningly. "You just love our company, Harry."
Not for the first time, Harry irritably thought the Twins were a lot like cats. If they could get to who they wanted, they annoyed everyone in the vicinity until Hermione came out and paid attention to them.
"Hermione I must ask, what passed between yourself and your grandmother?"
Hermione paused, in the middle of sipping from a cup of tea. She and Minerva (calling her Professor only resulted in glares) had been meeting for cups of tea every Sunday since the beginning of the winter term. Minerva insisted she wanted to get to know her better and Hermione could hardly fault her for doing so.
She sat her teacup down in its saucer and hugged her knees to her chest.
"My grandmother was always a bit strict." She began, eyes losing focus slightly. "She was always very concerned with respectability. After Mum and Dad...died the police handed me over to her. We were all right for the first couple of days and then we had the funeral. I was...upset."
"Perfectly understandable."
Hermione drew in a shuddering breath.
"She was telling me off for something, crying on my new dress or something. I don't know. I lost my temper. Started shrieking that everything was wrong and ruined and that I hated her. My guess now would be that I lost control of my magic. At the time I had no idea what was happening to me. I shattered every piece of glass in the house. Vases, windows, mirrors...everything. It was just too much for me. I was terrified. She dragged me out to Lambeth that very night. Couldn't stand having me in the house. I haven't seen her since. And of course, the other children remembered. Never let me forget it." She added bitterly.
Minerva sighed.
"I have always disagreed with the Ministry's approach to muggleborns. By the time we've made contact at eleven, most have already been put through mind healing, are ostracised from their families, subjected to bullying. Yours is perhaps the most extreme case I've heard of though."
Hermione shrugged.
"Have you visited...her yet?"
"No. I intend to visit this weekend."
Hermione nodded, staring deep into her tea.
"Good luck with that."
The house was perfectly middle class, gardens the sort of tidy only the retired over sixty could manage. The woman was obviously well off. Certainly enough for money not to be an issue in her vicious abandonment of her granddaughter. Minerva eyed the flower pots as she clicked her way up the path. They were just asking for some cat to knock them off. No one would notice if she...
Minerva gripped her clipboard to her chest and ignored the more feline part of her instincts.
Causing trouble would not help Hermione.
The young witch had been quiet but seemed happy enough when she'd seen her last. It was sometimes hard to tell with Hermione. She'd asked if she wanted her to pass along a message. The answer had been a resounding no and an exploded inkwell.
She rapped twice on the door, ignoring the doorbell. Muggles came up with the strangest inventions. She could hear the footsteps getting closer as she shifted impatiently in front of the green door. Somewhat maliciously she thought this probably indicated the sort of person living in the house. Who in their right mind had a green door?
"Hello." The woman was easily twenty years Minerva's senior, with greying hair, which curled slightly against her skull. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I believe you can. Are you..." Minerva pretended to consult her clipboard. "Mrs Amanda Hargreaves?"
"I am, yes." The woman frowned suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"Excellent." Minerva swept past her, striding down the corridor to a room she assumed was the sitting room. "This will do nicely." She perched on the edge of a floral sofa. "You might as well sit down." She said. "This may take a while. Then again it may take no time at all. That depends on you."
The slightly shocked woman frowned and sat down in her own armchair. There wasn't much resemblance between her and Hermione. Nothing that would tie the woman to her at least.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am depute headmistress at Hogwarts School. I am here regarding your granddaughter, one Hermione Granger, aged thirteen."
The woman stiffened and her dark eyes grew flinty.
"What did she do?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"That little freak. What did she do?"
"Can you please confirm this is your granddaughter?"
"Unfortunately." She spat.
Grimacing somewhat, Minerva noted something on her clipboard.
"Were you aware of your granddaughter's entrance to...private education?"
"Private? Is that why you're here? Money?"
"Hardly. I am here because of you. When Miss Granger was admitted to my school it was under the assumption that she had no living relatives. Her education has been provided through a fund set up for orphans. As Miss Granger's current living arrangements have been deemed unacceptable, the school has decided to make Miss Granger a ward of the school governors, as Miss Granger case is somewhat unusual..."
"Freakish."
Minerva frowned.
"I was referring to Miss Granger's outstanding academic ability. She has received some of the highest marks the school has ever awarded. She participates in extra-curricular activities and is sociable and polite. In short a credit to her school. The school would be honoured to take responsibility for her. As such she will continue to receive funding and support, along with bed and board. Miss Granger will be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities offered to her, which will further her education and job opportunities. However..." She thrust the clipboard at the pale woman. "We require your signature. Officially speaking you will relinquish all rights to your granddaughter. You may retain contact if you so wish, but otherwise, we will not contact you again."
Ten minutes later a triumphant Minerva McGonagall handed the form to the witch (another ex-student) in the Ministry's registration office.
Hermione Granger now had a family.
Well, one that wanted her at least.
"What's this?" Hermione breathed, the brown paper crackling under her grip.
Minerva smiled.
"Open it and find out." She said, smiling gently. Hermione did so, undoing the various strings holding the parcel together to reveal...
"A broom?"
The teacher nodded.
"I figured a Gryffindor chaser couldn't possibly play on a school broom and we just had Christmas, so I thought why not?" She shrugged slightly. "It's also a bit of a thank you present."
"But I didn't do anything...?"
"Yes, you did Hermione. I don't have any family left. I lost them in the war. But now, thanks to you, I've got a daughter. Of a sort."
Hermione grinned and, impulsively, hugged her.
Minerva waited until the witch had finished before speaking again.
"It's not a Nimbus, they're useless for chasers. I double-checked with Wood..." Hermione had been wondering why Wood had been looking particularly gleeful recently. "Hopefully you'll get to play soon."
Hermione shrugged, smiling down at her new broom.
"I don't mind if I don't play. Angelina, Katie and Alicia are brilliant. But thank you. So much."
Valentines Day swung around with disgusting gusto.
"You've got to be kidding me," Hermione muttered, staring in disbelief at the violently pink walls.
"We really wish we were." Fred sighed. "Even we wouldn't put people through this."
"And that's from the man who pranked our mother," George smirked and steered them towards the Hall for breakfast. "It has to be Lockhart's doing. No one else is barmy enough to do this."
"Speaking of which, ickle second year..."
"You can't call me that." She protested, brushing confetti off her shoulders.
Fred ruffled a hand through his hair, dislodging the little paper hearts.
"Fine. Amazon, how come you're not as devoted to the git as every other girl?"
"I even caught Angelina doodling in her notebook." George scowled. "Mrs Angelina Lockhart." He simpered, rubbing his black eye thoughtfully.
"Disgusting." Fred proclaimed. "But still our point stands..."
Hermione sighed.
"You mean aside from the obvious, like his appalling teaching, terrible taste in robes, the fact he's an obnoxious git..."
"Yes."
"He's blond."
The twins frowned at each other over her head.
"What's that got to do with anything?"
The tips of Hermione's ears, which were poking through her hair, turned red.
"I don't like blonds." She muttered, increasing her stride and leaving two perplexed fourth years behind her.
"THIS QUIDDITCH MATCH IS CANCELLED! ALL STUDENTS WILL RETURN TO THEIR COMMON ROOMS IMMEDIATELY!" Professor Flitwick, led a tear-stained Minerva McGonagall onto the Quidditch pitch, where Gryffindor was due to play Hufflepuff. The Twins looked relieved as they steered their brooms down to the pitch. They'd been ill since they'd gotten to the pitch, nearly half an hour earlier. Harry dragged them towards their Head of House, ignoring Oliver's furious shouting and their nauseous protests as they stumbled across the grass pitch.
"Are those two all right?" Professor Flitwick asked, turning off the magical megaphone, but still having to talk loudly over the sound of hundreds of pupils leaving the stands.
Harry shrugged, more concerned with the new attack.
"They fainted half an hour ago. Been like this since Oliver poured some water on them."
The Twins, who were grey and pale, were watching Professor McGonagall who was sobbing into a handkerchief with a look of utter dread.
"I think you three had better come with me," Flitwick whispered.
It took some effort to get the Twins to the Hospital Wing. They'd made the connection, between Minerva's heartbroken sobbing and the utter emptiness coming through the bond.
They refused to leave her side for days.
In all my years of teaching, I've never seen two pupils look so lost. I don't think they realised how much they relied on their bondmate or on the bond. They described it to me as the most horrid feeling of being incomplete. Like someone had ripped away their other half.
It was heartbreaking to see.
Minerva, who had promised to keep the girl safe and had grown quite close to her, was inconsolable. If she hadn't had that mirror...we dread to think what would have become of her.
Fred and George seemed to fade. There were no pranks or jokes. They existed, but they didn't live. Even the students noticed a change. The whole school became quiet and furtive. No fights or magic in the hallways. No speaking over the teacher or skipping class. It was as if the soul of the school was petrified along with Hermione.
It wasn't until Miss Bones made a discovery that they woke up again.
"Hermione?" Susan whispered.
When the boys had told her what had happened, Susan hadn't wanted to believe it. Usually quite a down-to-earth girl, she had hung firmly onto the belief that it was a joke.
Hermione would be all right. Well, Madam Pomfrey said she would be. Eventually.
Sirius and Amelia had been furious, wanting to march down to Hogwarts or find someone else with mature mandrakes. It wasn't like Professor Sprout was the only Herbologist in the world. Someone would have something.
But they couldn't. How could you explain them taking such an...expensive interest in one muggleborn student. The governors wouldn't authorise the spending of so much money, especially for a handful of muggleborns.
"Auntie wants you to be in her wedding. Bridesmaid. We've got matching dresses. You'll hate them."
She sighed, reaching up to touch Hermione's outstretched hand.
"The Twins aren't the same without you. Hermione...I hadn't realised you were so close. I wish you'd told me you were dating them. I asked Harry and he'd laughed at me. Boy's don't realise these things though. Fred and George really care about you." She said. She frowned slightly, feeling something that wasn't stone-like skin. "What on earth?"
"Hagrid's been arrested." Harry hissed across the table.
"For?"
"They think he unleashed the monster. Apparently he was responsible for the last time the Chamber opened."
Fred frowned.
"So this was fifty years ago?" Harry nodded, grateful he'd let the twins interrogate Malfoy. The little git had almost wet himself when they'd hung him upside down from a torch bracket. George chewed his lip, fingers trailing down a book on magical creatures. "We need to talk to someone who was here fifty years ago then."
"Who? The teachers won't talk to us. None of our parents know enough."
"Why was Hagrid arrested?"
"There was a death..."
"Exactly. And who would know about deaths fifty years ago?" Fred's blue eyes sparked slightly. Harry wasn't sure he liked the look on the Twins faces. Without Hermione there they'd become somewhat reckless. He hated to think what would happen if things somehow got worse.
"The ghosts." George hissed in triumph.
"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." Fred swayed slightly, George clasping his shoulder in support. Ron looked like he was going to vomit. Percy was silent, a snapped quill dangling from his fingers.
"I'm so sorry." Professor McGonagall breathed.
The Weasley family should have been under surveillance in Dumbledore's Office, awaiting their parent's arrival. Our only explanation is that whilst the teachers were assembling for the staff meeting, they snuck away and met up with Mr Black. Harry's contact with Miss Weasley had been limited, to say the least. Talking with Fred and George later I have come to believe that it was the combined shock of losing their bondmate, albeit temporarily and the very real possibility of the death of their little sister which prompted them to do something so monumentally stupid.
"We're going to save Ginny."
Harry's green eyes widened as he paled.
"Guys you're my best friends but we'll be going after a Basilisk. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"
"Harry we can't just wait for someone to do anything. The teachers have given up...they think she's..." Fred swallowed and leaned against his brother. Both were pale, their eyes red and worried. To Harry's mind, they didn't look sane. This was what months without their other half did. What would they do if she died?
"Listen, we don't even know where the Chamber is. How could we rescue her? She could be almost anywhere."
That got them to pause for a moment.
"Pipes." George murmured, shaking his brother and Harry out of their reverie.
"What?"
"Hermione. She knew the monster was travelling through the pipes. Hogwarts is a magical building. Only the toilets actually have plumbing. Remember Dad was explaining to us. He got all excited about an actual muggle method being used."
They frowned at him.
"How does that help us?"
George stared at them.
"Remember what you said Fred? We need to talk to a ghost. What ghost lives in a bathroom?"
"BOMBARDA!" The Twins shouted in unison, shattering the, mercifully empty, porcelain toilet. Moaning Myrtle shot out of the U bend like a rocket, hovering above their heads, an expression of utter fury on her face.
"That was my favourite toilet." She hissed.
Harry winced slightly, but the Twins were unmoved, identical expressions of resolve and anger.
"Fifty years ago, you were killed by the monster in the Chamber of Secrets," Fred demanded.
Myrtle nodded gleefully.
"It was terrible..." She smiled and pointed at the nearest sink. "There was a pair of glowing eyes coming from over there. Of course, I didn't realise..."
The Twins tuned her out, moving to examine the sink carefully. They finally found what they were looking for. A small snake etched onto one of the taps.
"How do we open it?" Harry asked when they showed him.
"We could always blow it up," Fred suggested, twirling his wand.
Harry sighed.
"And this is why we need Hermione. You can't just blow up a door and expect it to open. This was made by Salazar Slytherin..." Harry swallowed. "What if I use parseltongue?"
"Go for it." George gestured, dragging his brother backwards, keeping one eye on the now pouting Myrtle.
It took several attempts. He had to imagine that the snake was actually looking at him before anything even resembling hissing came out. Eventually, the sink moved aside, revealing the very wide, very dark hole.
"What do you think?" Fred asked.
"Ginny's down there." George pointed out.
"Right." And with no warning, Fred stepped off the ledge.
"It's okay." He yelled back eventually, his voice echoing around the damp stone.
"Harry you go next."
George all but kicked Harry into the pipe, before stepping around to the next sink.
"Bombarda." He whispered.
The mirror shattered into large pieces and George pocked several, careful not to cut his hands. Slipping his legs over into the pipe he pushed forward and slid down into the dark. The pipe levelled out finally and George shot out into darkness.
"Lumos." He whispered and glanced around. Fred and Harry were standing quite close to the pipe, peering into the gloom. Even with the wand light, they could only see so far into the gloom. "Here," George muttered, handing out shards of mirror. "If you think you see something, check with the mirror. C'mon."
Wands drawn, they walked slowly into the dark. Harry jumped almost a foot in the air when Fred stepped on something which gave way with a large crunch. George lowered his wand and scowled at the sight of hundreds of animal skeletons. His brother and Harry looked slightly sick and George suspected they were thinking the same thing as him.
Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.
"George..." Fred muttered. He didn't need to finish his sentence as George made out the large shadow lying across the tunnel. Gesturing for the other two to stay back, George crept up to it, wand raised, his mirror held loosely in front of him.
The snakeskin was huge, taller than George and almost twice as thick.
"It's fine." He called. Together they stared at the thing.
"It's even bigger now," Harry whispered.
"What?"
"Snakes. They shed their skins when they grow. It'll be even bigger now."
That was not a thought either twin wanted to dwell on.
"C'mon." Fred called, striding ahead. "We've got to find Ginny."
They walked for easily another five minutes, following the bends in the tunnel until they reached a dead end. There were two large serpents carved into the stone. Their eyes were set with emeralds.
"You're up, Harry."
Harry swallowed, looking nauseous.
He opened the door on the first try this time. The snakes slid aside and they stepped through, sticking close together.
"We're definitely in the right place." Harry whispered.
Everything about the cavern screamed Slytherin. The pillars supporting the carved ceiling were snakes and an odd greenish gloom filled the air. They hurried through the hall, Fred and George flanking Harry and keeping the dark edges of the hall in view. As they passed the last pair of serpents, Fred let out a low moan.
At the base of a towering statue, was a crumpled figure dressed in black robes with red hair spilling across the stone floor.
Ginny!
Fred and George were on her in seconds, checking her over for injuries.
"GINNY!" Fred yelled, forgetting to be quiet. George hefted his sister up into his arms and they turned to leave.
"Guys!" Harry called, not moving.
The Twins turned and stared at him. Harry, however, was staring at the lonely figure standing not five feet from him, leaning against a pillar.
"Who the hell are you?" George demanded, eyes cold.
"Tom Riddle." The boy watched them, obviously bored. "Pleasure."
Both twins went pale. They'd heard that name before.
"What did you do with our sister?" Fred asked, dangerously quiet.
"Well, that's an interesting question." Now Fred was looking at him, the boy seemed almost blurry. "And quite a long story."
"Then shorten it," Fred growled, raising his wand.
Riddle snorted, unimpressed. He pointed one pale finger at a small black book.
"That's Ginny's diary." George frowned. He'd seen Ginny scribbling in it all year long. Looking paler and paler as she did so... A sinking feeling formed in his stomach.
"Before it was Ginny's diary, it was mine. I left a piece of my soul in it, a memory if you like and little Ginny Weasley came along and poured her heart and soul in. Which was exactly what I needed. I got stronger, strong enough to convince Ginny to do what I wanted." He pushed away from the pillar and moved toward them. "Not that she knew what she was doing of course. Took her a long time to figure out that those gaps in her memory were because of me. But by that time the Chamber had been opened." Fred's fist clenched and had George not been holding Ginny, Harry suspected he would have tried to tackle the memory. Riddle's eyes narrowed. "It was her who unleashed the basilisk on that friend of yours. The orphan mudblood. But eventually, I had to stop somewhere. Ginny was beginning to suspect and I couldn't have her going to the teachers now could I?" He smirked, eyes firmly fixed on the twins. "I made her write her own farewell message and hide down here. By now she's put so much of her soul into me that she really hasn't got much longer left to live." He smiled brightly at George. "Isn't she getting awfully cold?"
Harry's brain suddenly kicked into gear.
"It's the diary!" He darted forward and nabbed the book, careful to stay away from Riddle. "The book is draining Ginny..."
Fred grinned.
"Harry take Ginny. Get her out of here." George handed his sister to the smaller boy, before moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother, dropping the diary in front of them.
Riddle laughed.
"You can't destroy me with wands."
"Yeah. People said we couldn't knock out a troll with a disarming charm either..."
"Or get into the third-floor corridor."
"In fact, we specialise in doing things people say can't be done."
"You remember that friend of ours you attacked..."
"Well, she's much, much more than our friend..."
"She's our bondmate." Fred smirked slightly as the smile dropped off Riddle's face. "And even Lord Voldemort knows to be afraid of a soul bond."
"It won't work. STOP!"
They ignored him and reached out for the bond. Even with their other half petrified, the bond was still there. Those weeks they'd spent sitting by Hermione's side had taught them that.
So they reached out and dug deep. Used all the fury and hatred they felt towards Tom Riddle and what he had done to them to fuel the spell. Used the love and care they felt for Hermione to fuel the bond. The bond marks on their hands shone through the glamour, bright lights with hints of blue, green and gold.
"Incendio!" They yelled.
Riddle screamed as the pages blackened and burnt. Ink poured in a torrent from the book and onto the floor, lapping at their shoes. They didn't let the spell up until the boy who would become the world's darkest lord, flickered and vanished.
Both boys wavered, swaying on their feet. Fred kicked the diary away from him in disgust. He didn't speak. He didn't need to when it was just them. George followed him out and back into the tunnel.
Harry was waiting just beyond the hole in the wall and, propped against a wall, was Ginny.
She paled when she saw her brothers.
"I'm sorry...so..."
"Shut up Gin." Fred muttered, tugging his sister up for a hug. George smiled faintly and joined them.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"Are you two okay?" Harry demanded, leading the way back through the tunnel. "Because you look like hell."
"Thanks, mate."
"Spell took a bit out of us. Speaking of which..."
They had reached a particularly narrow bit of tunnel.
"Here works." George nodded.
"You two go on up the tunnel a bit."
"What're you going to do?" Ginny asked cautiously, well aware of the Twins' penchant for pyrotechnics.
"Blow up the tunnel. That monsters still in here. If we leave this open it could attack again. But..."
"This might collapse the whole tunnel." George grinned at them, still pale and sooty. "So do us a favour and go on ahead a bit."
"Little sisters."
"Honestly."
Ginny rolled her eyes and followed Harry obediently up the tunnel.
"Ready?"
Fred nodded.
"Bombarda Maxima!" They bellowed, wands aimed at the ceiling and ran. The loud rumbling behind them told them they'd been successful, but they didn't stop and kept sprinting. Harry and Ginny caught on quickly and the four of them sped back to the pipe.
Skidding to a stop they looked back into the now dusty tunnel.
"Hey, George?" Harry asked.
"Mmm."
"How do we get back up the pipe?"
The three boys paused and stared up the near-vertical and very slippy pipe.
"Ah."
Ginny giggled.
"You ask for stairs." She said, blushing slightly. "That's what I did anyway."
Fred and George looked expectantly at their raven-haired companion who groaned and complied.
In the history of the Hospital Wing, and Poppy assures me it is a long and colourful history, no patient who has been declared petrified has ever managed to set fire to their curtains. Hermione Granger is the only holder of this title.
That Fred and George could manifest their incomplete bonds without Hermione present or even conscious, should have a been an obvious indicator of the power they would later wield. It's only looking back that I realise the signs I missed.
When Hermione eventually woke up, it was to the sight of Fred and George. Or at least it was for the first millisecond before they pounced on her.
"Missed you Amazon." Fred breathed into her hair.
Hermione coughed and George sat back so she could drink from the glass of water Madam Pomfrey had sat out for her.
"The basilisk, it's under the school. That's what's attacking..."
"We know Hermione." George slipped an arm around her shoulder and tucked in close to her. "We figured it out."
"What?"
Fred laughed quietly.
"Hermione it's the end of term. Today's the end of school feast. You've missed a lot."
Hermione went very still.
"Then you'd better fill me in then."
"When we get home," Sirius murmured. "We are going to have a very very long talk. About words like safety and common sense and stupidity."
Harry and Hermione nodded quietly.
The Twins had already left, along with the rest of the Weasley family so Harry, Hermione and Susan followed their guardian out into Kings Cross station and the wide world.
"Parseltongue!" Sirius shrieked.
Harry shrugged.
"We just thought I'd inherited it. It got us into the Chamber though."
Sirius shook his head violently.
"No. No. Harry, you can trace the Potter linage back to Godric Gryffindor. There is no way you inherited it. The only person you could have gotten that from is the one who attacked you at Godric's Hollow."
Harry's hand went to his scar.
"When the curse rebounded..." Amelia drew in a deep breath, looking faintly disgusted. "There is a chance that Voldemort's soul could have fractured. His body was damaged. It would have headed for the nearest possible vessel."
"Dumbledore never told us..." Sirius breathed.
Harry just looked sick.
"So I have a piece of..him inside my head?"
"We'll get it out though? Sirius?"
The Marauder was pale, staring at Harry in horror.
"Sirius!" Hermione yelled.
"Yes. Course. Definitely." He collapsed into his desk chair. "I have no idea how."
Remus spoke up for the first time since they'd begun this conversation.
"I know where might though." He looked at Sirius, his face unusually drawn, scars standing out in sharp relief.
"Grimmauld."
Sirius flinched.
"Where's Grimmauld?"
"It's my house." Sirius murmured. "Or rather the seat of the Nobel and Ancient House of Black. It has been left to ruin since my mother's death." He sighed, resting his head on his arms. "But you may be right Moony."
Remus, seeing their confused expressions, clarified.
"The House of Black has been known for generations for being...dark."
Sirius snorted.
"Dark? We make the Malfoys look positively saintly."
Remus ignored that.
"Sirius used to tell me, when we were at school together, about the Library there. Full of dark magic. If there was any way to displace a soul, it'd be there."
"Fine. We'll go in the morning."
"What will we need?" Harry asked, looking determined.
"You? Nothing. You're not going." Amelia glowered at Harry and Sirius nodded.
"I don't want you there. Ever, if I can avoid it."
"I'll go." Remus offered.
Sirius nodded.
"I'll adjust the wards to let you through."
"How big is this Library?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Huge."
"It could take Remus months on his own." She pointed out. "So I'll go and help."
"WHAT?"
"Don't shout. It makes sense. I read just as fast as Remus does."
"Hermione, the books in there are nothing a young girl should read..."
"Then I'll just read the contents pages. I can't sit by and not do something to help Harry and I'm really your only other option. You two are getting married this summer and I really don't think this is something you want to involve Susan in."
Sirius rubbed at his eyes.
"I am a terrible parent." He muttered. "Fine. But don't tell Minerva. She'll kill me."
Getting into the Library was a difficult enough task as it was. They had to wait two days until the house-elves Sirius had sent in gave the all-clear. The building was gloomy, dark and damp. Hermione and Remus worked their way slowly through the shelves, Hermione checking the contents and indexes for reference and Remus doing the actual reading. The title pages were enough to make her shudder.
All reading had to be halted halfway through the holidays for the wedding.
Like Susan had promised Hermione was a bridesmaid. The wedding itself was a lavish affair, as was the custom for the joining of two Noble and Ancient Houses.
Or so she'd been told at least.
The wedding party even made the front page of the Daily Prophet.
Fred and George, the day before they were due to leave for Egypt had been invited and Hermione spent most of the reception dancing with them and talking to Bill Weasley, who worked with Amelia and had been invited anyway. Molly had only let the Twins go if their brother promised to supervise them.
A week after the wedding and Sirius arrived back from his honeymoon early and alone. He'd ignored their demands for answers, instead of reaching for that morning's unopened Prophet. Scowling he held up the front page.
ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN!
Remus swore, Harry and Susan frown and Hermione screamed in fright.
"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" She yelled, backing up from the picture until her back was against the wall. The glass in the windows began to shake and the water jug shattered.
"Hermione...?"
Hermione stared at Sirius with wild eyes, which were brimming with tears.
"That's Peter Pettigrew." She hissed. "He's the one who murdered my parents."
Updated 2019