Hermione was so shocked that she stared with her mouth open. "What?"
"I don't know whether to beleive it or not," Luna said with her head in her hands.
Hermione composed herself when she saw her upset friend, "Luna, calm down. We can do the muggle DNA test."
"But we need a sample of a Malfoy" Luna said.
Hermione frowned as she thought about that little titbit. "We must tell him what you overheard. But we can't meet him in the Wizarding world." Hermione made her mind, "Come on Luna. Let's go. You are staying with me tonight. At my parents' home."
In order to avoid being seen by muggles, they took taxi to Hermione's childhood home.
And an owl was waiting for them. Hermione made sure that the house was warded from the inside before reading the unaddressed owl.
To The One Who Found the Truth,
The answers you seek would be available for you, once you spill a drop of your blood on this parchment. Be patient and be wise.
- One of the Victims.
Once she read it, Luna reached for the parchment. Luna's eyes hardened, obviously understanding something that she couldn't. "Do it," Luna said as she handed the parchment back to her.
Hermione frowned, but did as her friend said. The moment her blood touched the parchment, the hidden message appeared.
By spilling the blood, you became the rightful heir to my hidden Gringotts vault. Everything I found so far, is hidden in there. A Goblin by the name, Hickbell would take you to my vault once you show the parchment. Use it like a Slytherin.
- Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Hermione gasped. Voldemort has a hidden Gringotts vault? And she inadvertently became his heir? But her 'Ever Curious' side was itching her to go to Gringotts right that instant. Pushing that aside, she focused on the main reason they came to her parents' house. She quickly wrote Draco a letter with a portkey and owled it.
An hour later a very annoyed Draco Malfoy, a very confused Hermione Granger and a very nervous Luna Lovegood were sitting in the living room.
"Granger, would you mind telling me the reason you summoned me for?" Draco drawled.
Hermione frowned, "I didn't summon you, Malfoy. I just asked very politely to join us the instant you read the letter."
"Sounds like a summon to me," Draco said.
Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed. "Listen, the reason I asked for your presence was-" and she preceded to tell him everything that Luna overheard.
As she concluded with the owl she received from now-deceased Voldemort, Draco's eyes rounded like a saucer. "We can do a muggle DNA test."
Draco rolled her eyes, "Seriously Granger. We are wizards and witches. We have spells for this sort of things."
Hermione frowned, "I don't remember any spell for the specific purpose."
Draco chuckled, "Because it was a Slytherin secret. Slytherin invented many spells that are taught to the Slytherin students when the enter the snake's pit. When Slytherin and Gryffindor fell out, Gryffindor was extremely jealous of Salazar's gifts. Salazar managed to tap into his core to obtain the balance between light and dark. But Gryffindor couldn't. So, in a fit of rage Gryffindor killed Slytherin's oldest sons. Slytherin did the unexpected and taught his daughter everything. Eventhough he had a son later on, his daughter managed to excel in everything. That was why the Slytherins are still hate and pick up on Gryffindor. Salazar promised eternal misery to every Gryffindor. And we are keeping his vow."
Hermione blinked, "So what does it have to do with a DNA spell?"
"Gryffindor's descendents were so much like him. Angry, reckless, hero-complex. Salazar realised, somewhere down the line his own descendents would have to be kept safe from Gryffindors. So he invented many spells anticipating many scenarios. That was how the DNA spell was passed on."
Hermione grimaced, hearing a possible different side to Godric Gryffindor. But now was not the time. "So how do we do this?"
"Get me a parchment," Draco said and soon was presented with one. He wrote his name on one end and Luna's name on the other. Then, with his wand, he pricked his finger and let a drop fall on his name. He then asked Luna to do the same on her's. Draco then moved his wand in complex wand movements. A couple of minutes later, the blood drops on the two ends of the parchment started moving toward each other. Draco's eyes left the parchment and found Luna's, "It's true then. You are my sister."
After Draco and Luna had some quality time together to get to know each other, the three went to the Gringotts after applying some glamour charms to disguise their identity.
"Excuse me," Hermione said as she addressed a Goblin, "Could I meet Mr Hickbell, please?"
The Goblin raised his eyes from his paperwork, looking them up and down, and nodded. The Goblin went inside a room to get another. The new Goblin went toward them and said, "I am Hickbell."
Hermione took out the parchment from her charmed beaded bag and gave it to the goblin.
Hickbell frowned as he read the parchment and nodded. "Follow me."
Hermione, Luna and Draco followed Hickbell, as he let them to a gig, which took them to the vault. The said vault was situated in the deepest part of the Gringotts, among the vaults of the oldest pureblood families.
Twenty minutes later, the trio left the Wizarding Bank with the beaded bag full of journals, books, a pensieve, a globe of memories and a portrait. While they were in the vault, they knew that these items were not safe at Hermione's or Draco's, since Draco and Luna were not yet ready to let their parents know about Luna. So, Draco suggested they take the items and go straight to the Prince Manor, where Severus Snape was living. Draco apparated them straight into the Manor, soon found them at the wand point of one Severus Snape.