Disclaimer: Apart from AU and OCs, JKR is still the creator of the HP world.

Chapter 49

No sooner had Severus Snape let go of William Weasley's collar, Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus had bound inside the room. The lynx stood regal in front of the Headmaster of Hogwarts and when it opened its mouth, all the occupants of the kitchen were stunned by its message.

"The security wards of The Ministry of Magic were breached. In front of Hermione Jean Granger and Blaise Zabini's joint office five deadly apparitions hover, guarding the locked door. They have already decapacitated a few of our adventurous Aurors. They have fatally injured Tracey Davis. Zabini is on his way with the details."

The head Auror's voice had died down, the bluish outline of the lynx stared hard at Snape for some more seconds then had vanished in thin air. Without being told, Bill sprinted out of the kitchen to the living area, the others could hear him activate the floo connection.

Snape stood up and to everyone's surprise he started rampaging through the odd items. Minerva tried to say something, but the man simply held out the parchment he had been scribbling through. Fishing out the two unopened letters, he shoved Harry's back to him and ripped open his own. Remus just said, "Severus…" but his former classmate had thrown across the goblin's envelope, after breaking open its seal roughly.

He barked at Draco, "Where is the book, I asked you all to read through earlier?"

Stammering, the blonde replied, "Longbottom took it to read through…"

Not waiting for him to finish his sentence, his godfather pulled him from the chair and had pushed him in the general direction of the door, "Get the book, get Molly, Merlin's...Get everyone here right now."

Turning at Minerva he directed, "I want you to keep adding to the list," looked at Harry, he growled," Potter why are you staring at me, read that letter!" Staring at Remus, he found the man softly crying. Finally losing his patience, Snape yelled, "Now is not the time to cry like a girl, Remus, what's with you?"

Looking up at the irritated man, the DADA professor softly said," Severus, I think you should look at these…" Crossing the room, the werewolf handed a thick bound album to the confused potion master and nudged him to sit down. The moment his eyes caught sight of what could be an old album, he slumped against the backrest, his eyes were growing moist, and his throat went dry.

There were baby pictures of Hermione- after she was born, in the arms of very tired yet beaming Lily. In the arms of a dwarf, who was obviously young Griphook. And then, long shot photographs of toddler Granger playing on the swing. Granger fast asleep in a pram being pushed by her adoptive parents. Granger licking on to ice cream. Granger peering into a bookstore through the display window, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Remus turned over the front page were in long goblin script the following words were written,

Minerva Estella,

my brightest star of the Sky.

The love of Sage and Lilac

will one day shine,

will surely shine through the clouds.

"The baby images are Griphook's personal collection. He must have truly started to care for the little girl."

Minerva wiped her tears with her handkerchief and urged, "We need to keep a level head and weigh all the information at hand before questioning Mr. Griphook, Severus."

Closing his eyes to get a grip on his racing heart, Severus schooled his was aware he had to race against time now. He had to find answers, deal with the goblin, deal with the minister of magic who will soon come knocking at his door and he will have to save Hermione. When he had spoken out, he sounded grave, "Potter what does your letter say?"

When the other had said nothing at all, Severus had tried to snatch the parchment away, but Harry had jumped off his chair, yelling out, "No, No, don't it, it from my mum."

"What?"

Staggering back, he would have fallen backward, if Lupin had not caught hold of him, halfway. Harry immediately realized his mistake. That Snape and he were both people who wanted to show Lily how much they were capable of loving her. And this was true for Hermione as well. He shouldn't have rebuffed the man.

Taking off his glasses, Harry rubbed his eyes and cheeks and walked up to the astonished man. Carefully putting the folded letter in Severus's hand, he held on to his bony hand, "I know what friendship is. I know what companionship means, I also know what love feels like, right here, "pointing at his own heart, "I have Gin…" "I know how fiercely you loved mom. I am still trying to understand all of this together. Hell! I am so happy, so excited to finally," wiping his tears of joy, "call Hermione sister, I mean I don't need to introduce her to you, our bossy know-it-all." Holding Snape's hand, Harry gave it a squeeze, "Can you bring back my only sister, back to me? Through this letter Mum just wanted me to know I have a family, a sister, and I should look for her."

This open display of acceptance had made Severus uncomfortable. Squeezing the young man's hand back, he quickly retrieved his own, passing the letter in his robe pocket, he promised, "I...I would like to read it alone, I will return it to you, Harry, after that." The young man just beamed back in acceptance. He was looking at the other opened but unread letter, expectantly.

Hesitantly, the headmaster picked it up and then dropped to his knees. In between dry heaves, he managed to say, " It's from Lily, she must have written this after leaving Hermione with the Grangers… Minnie, why, why did my girls have to go through so much pain and despair, while I remained ignorant of it...she wrote in it...that she was considering the option of marrying James…and she would never stop loving me either..."

Narcissa followed by Draco and the others had softly walked in, and the Malfoy matriarch knelt beside her old friend, "She must have been forced to do that Sev. I feel ashamed to tell you this, but Lucius had his eyes on her ever since the first Yule Ball...I would guess, that letter which I had sent you through Draco must have been written after you both had met for the last time. I remember Lucius coming back raving like a mad man a few nights after. He had that piece of parchment hidden in his desk. He was perversely obsessed with her. It was he who had convinced the Dark Lord to go after the Evans parents, in the first place, and you would remember Lucius had shown such interest in leading that raid. I can only say, I am so, so sorry, Severus and Mr. Potter."

Grabbing on to his friend's hand, Snape whispered like a child who had seen the majestic display of a fair for the first time, "I...I am a father, I am the father of the most wonderful, brilliant, bossy, hand waving, endearing, smart, overachieving girl, Cisa, I…am Hermione's father."

Sound of several footsteps from outside had broken the trance, and they had all turned towards the window. A huge army of "the Knights of the Undead" was stomping their feet on the sand, marching on the spot. The sky above them had slowly started turning lighter, with the approaching dawn.