"Hermione went to the bathroom to freshen up. She remebered that James and everyone else expect Sirius seem to call her Mia. She wondered why ? She quickly finished freshening up and went was in to the main living room which much similar to the Gryffindor commonroom but was in a beige and cream tone . James was watching her , he shared a look with Frank who nodded . She looked around the room. It was a lounge type room with a comfortable sofa set across the room. There were some lounge chairs one of which was occupied by Sirius , who was napping but she do could see he was on high alert. That was something she had always admired in Sirius , he was highly aware of his surroundings, inspite of spending 12 years in prison, it might a features from his anigmaus is something she could research on
"She sat down opposite to James and Frank and looked at them. She had some questions to ask them. She started her voice breaking with her emotions "Well, I know my arrival and everything that happened beyond it is too much to take in and I have been very bossy and overbearing but it was not my desire to be so, I just wanted to make sure that Harry and Neville grow up in happiness and health. She was cut of by Lily and Alice hugging her and she broke down , she cried for her best friend, for her parents who knew nothing about her now, she cried for the Weasley who remained truthful and in light, she cried for all her friends , finally she felt her heart light, yes she could save them all. She could give everyone the life they deserved. She calmed down , Lily and Alice sat back . Lily gave her a glass of water. She accepted gratefully and drank it. She sat back and spoke, " I have some doubts though, who is Mia ?"
James had a sad look on his face, Frank spoke " Mia .. Hermione Dorea Potter , was James' younger sister, a miracle baby. James himelf was a late child but he had a sister 3 years later, a pretty little girl who was a perfect combination between the Potter and Black legacy. She had everyone spun around her little finger the moment she was born. She was a sister for me too. But it didnt last long."
James " It was her 3rd birthday, she was all decked up as a princess and we all were excited. Frank's dad even got her a special tiara but someone took her away from the nursery when she was napping, in the evening before the cake was to be cut and Uncle Greg and my father searched for her a lot. They put in lot of pressure politically and otherwise but we could not trace her. They did manage to capture the guy but he said something about a curse. We dont know the specifics but it was as if we could not trace her but the life force was strong in the familial magic, which lead us to believe that she was alive and her magic was strong. Slowly Dad and Mom retreated the search and left the rumors of her being attacked and her magic being unstable to go around. It is widely believed that she was in a facility outside Britain and well that is why Moody and other believed the story kept searching till he died and even I continued with Frank but then we heard about Voldemort hunting us and we went into hiding." He took a deep breath and Frank put a hand on his shoulder.
"When you came in through the door, I felt the bond flair and you look like how she would have been if she was with us today. I want to believe that you are Hermione Granger but my magic and my heart tells me otherwise. I would be gratefully if you came to the bank and met our account manager who was close to my parents and would know some way of determining if you are her.
Hermione was confused and she could not decide how to process what was being said. Logical thought said it could not be true, but we were considering magical possibilites right. If Gringotts could provide an answer might as well. "Yes, we should go to the bank to determine if anything is there in what you said." she said finally, she didnt know what to make of it. She was throughly confused because, it would give her a identity her but if it was true her whole life was a lie till now.
She sat back and closed her eyes, trying to calm her brain. She engaged her occulmacy shields to maximum, this was possibly the way she could stop her brain going into overdrive. She went up to bed and slept , she had to relax and sleep, she had lot to do in the coming years.
She heard the other going to bed, it has been a long day and night.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore was meeting with Severus Snape. Snape was ranting on about Lily's death and here Dumbledore was glad the parents were dead and the child was alive , afterall the child was easy to manipulate and the Potter estate and Black estate was his to maintain till the child could come to inheritance, if the child will come to it. He had left the child on the doorstep of the Dursley with a complusion charm in the letter which would ensure their hatred to the child. Till the time the Potter brat came to Hogwarts, he would be mistreated and abused, so then he would see me as a saviour. He would moniter the child from here to check if the core level increase so to put a bind, for now the core level was low , maybe because of fighting the curse. He knew that Harry Potter was expectional strong and powerful wizard , it was not suprising James and Lily were powerhouse of magical strength ,if you add family magic it does wonders. The Potter line held the power and wealth and now he would ensure the child grows as a scapegoat. His thoughts turned to the Longbottoms, they need to be attacked and removed from the picture to avoid the issue of custody. It is a well know fact that Longbottoms align themselves to Potters. Well with Riddle gone the next best option is Bellatrix turned to Snape " Give Bellatrix the Longbottoms location, tell they know the whereabouts of their Dark Lod.
Snape looked at him with a scowl and turned and left. Everything was in place. The Potter child was on his way to mistreatment and abuse. The Longbottom child would be dead hopefully by tomorrow and that line would end with the old croon Augusta, well she would be in grief so that would make it easy for him to manipulate was highly satisfied with his planning. The wizarding world was his own to rule. Him defeating Grindelwald was the stepping stone, well no one knew that it was Andrew Potter who actually subdued him. He stunned them both and erased the memory and replaced it with him defeating Grindelwald and well he stole the wand from Andrew Potter. But the public knew that he was the victor and revered him. Now he will reap the benefits. Tomorrow the wizengamot was set to discuss the current situation. Maybe its time for a new minster. Some he could control. For now he should rest.
Hermione walk up to the shouts of Frank calling James. She ran out and met him, James and Sirius in the hallway he said ,"house has been attacked ,all we need to do is ensure that everyone gets caught under the house when the war wards blows the house.
Lily and Alice decided to stay back with the boys. Hermione and the men apprated to the Longbottom cottage and spells them self invisible. From the window they could see the fake couples being tortured with the curico curse. Hermione felt sick seeing the colours, she was reliving her torture at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. Sirius could feel her shivering he held her hand and pull her to him. She relaxed against his chest she felt safe, she inhaled his warm send which reminded her of leather,diesel and something spicy. She took a deep breath and calmed herself and turned to Frank said "It's time." Frank nodded and turned the house and started chanting in Latin to activate the war wards. meanwhile, Hermione threw up an anti portkey and anti apparition ward to ensure that the attackers were trapped in the house. James and Sirius used a mass spell to to shut down the windows and doors to completely trapping the Lestrange and Crouch junior. They backed out from the house and soon they felt the earth rumble, they could hear panic screams coming from inside and the house collapsed killing everyone inside. They waited for few moments to ensure no one came out alive then they activated there are badges to call on the department.
Soon the air was filled with the pops from appartition from the Aurors who came running to the four people standing near the ruins , Moody asked"What the hell is happening here? Longbottom, why is your house in ruins ?"
Frank said "The Potters visited us with Sirius to tell us what happened,our wards were attacked by the Lestrange and Crouch Junior, as soon as we felt the wards collapse we portkeyed lily and Alice with the children to a safe house. We reactivated the war wards and ran out of the house sealing it completely the house collapsed and all inside were killed ." Moody nodded , he was joined by Crouch Sr and other ministry officials. Crouch Sr said " Can you clear the rubble , so that we can confirm the death of the perpetrators." Frank nodded and waved his wand with a Latin spell. The rubbles shifted and cleared away. There were four corpse , pretty much crushed under the weight, one woman and four males. Hermione felt like throwing up, she turned away and took deep calming breathes. Sirius came near her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. She felt better. The aurors got to work, clearing the bodies. Crouch stared at his son's body . His expression stone like as he saw the aurors revealed the dark marks on the left arm. He nodded and apprated away.
James told Moody that they need to go and meet the wives as they would be worried. Moody agreed and said he would have the aurors to wrap but everything here.
James side apparated everyone to Potter manor. Lily and Alice came running to see how the plan worked out. Frank nodded to Alice, who smiled and ran to him and hugged and kissed each other. Hermione turned to see James and lily doing the same. Sirius was looking at her eyebrows wagging suggestively. She blushed and went in. She was happy, her plans were truly underway. Things were good. Frank and Alice then left to met his mother and update her about the situation.
She went through to the living room,soon James and the others followed her and sat down opposite on the sofas, and James said " Do you think we can talk for sometime ? We have an appointment with Gringotts in one hour." Hermione nodded so he continued as Lily joined " can you tell us about Harry in your time". Hermione felt her heart swell with love and pain , she missed her best friend immensely. " Harry was my best friend, the only person who saw me beyond the face of a buck toothed, bushy haired know-it-all swot. He was loyal and headstrong and had courage in spades. Yet I have never met someone so humble as him. He loved everyone maybe only truly hated Voldemort because that creature was reason he didnt have a family. He yearned for a family of his own. He was very proficient in defense and transfiguration. He ..." she broke down , cried remembering him. Sirius came and sat next to her , gathered her in a hug, rubbing circles on her back to calm her down, she remembered her Sirius when he comforted her in the 5th year after Harry screamed at her. She relaxed a bit on his chest. She could feel the warm hard muscle and enjoyed the safety nestled against him provided. She wiped her tears and got up and said " Sorry, he was my best friend and more of a brother to me."
Lily said " we are glad that our son had you a friend to depend on. We feeling truly blessed just for that"
James nodded and then asked" Wait does my son play quidditch ?"
Lily rolled her eyes while Sirius laughed out.
"yes he did , he was the youngest seeker seen in a 100 years. The best player after Charlie Weasley.
"awesome, pads we need to get him a proper broom and start training him."
Lily and Hermione were shocked , they scream" JAMES POTTER AND SIRIUS BLACK DONT YOU DARE"
they looked at each other and burst out laughing. She ranted " I won't let me touch a broom till he is in school. His antics on a broom has left without finger nails. He is a daredevil and from the stories I have heard your worse , so please spare me and let that child grow up loving books and studying." Lily beamed at her while Sirius snorted and said " another bookworm, just what was needed, as if Lily was not enough."
Lily said" there is nothing wrong in studying and reading books."
Just the Harry stopped playing and waddled across to Sirius and said "pwfoo , ride ride.."
James started laughing, while Sirius sighed and the turned into Padfoot."
Soon Harry was riding Padfoot , James had stuck the poor child to Padfoot and because Lily glared at him he walked along Padfoot. Harry was laughing loudly and clapping his pudgy little hands, enjoying the rife immensely. Hermione felt the warm and happiness wash over her. She knew she had succeeded in the first steps of her plan.
She was pulled from her thoughts when Lily began speaking,"Thank you for saving us and making sure my family is intact. They mean the world to me and I would give up my life for them, but now I know that I am safe and I can see my child grow up strong and courageous like you said."
Hermione hugged Lily , who just did that back putting in her gratitude and love. They pulled back to hear the floo flare up. Frank came through with Neville followed by Alice and Madam Longbottom. Hermione stood to observe the old lady whom she last met during the final war. She looked lot different than then. She looked healthier and a proud aristocratic pureblood way. The Potter and Sirius welcomed Lady Longbottom as per protocol. Hermione proceed to do the same but she was swept into a hug by Augusta who was crying "my princess is back. Alas ! Greg and your parents are not here to see you. I am so fortunate to have you back where you belong." Hermione was shocked and stood still as a stone and couldn't find her voice to protest. James has this hopefully expression on his face. It pained her to give them hope. She extracted herself and said " Ma'am I am not Mia like you expected I am Hermione Granger, I ... well I was thrown back by some force while being tortured by the Death Eaters ."
"Dont worry princess, I can prove my claim." She was turned around and the hair was moved to reveal a slender neck and just behind the ear was the mark Madam Longbottom was looking for, a birth mark in shape of a star. James gasped and crossed the space between them and hugged her tightly" I knew it was you Mia-bear ...you are back finally. I never thought I would see you in my lifetime." He clung to her crying while she was shocked with the news as well... this new birth mark she possessed.
James turned to Augusta and said " we have an appointment with Gringotts soon, maybe we can join us and ask the goblin about any instructions mom and dad would have left. Lady Longbottom agreed to this and turned to look at Hermione. She was sitting on the sofa with a pluzzed expression. Hermione couldn't decide how to process all these revelations. She knew she could trust the goblin judgement.
"that is a good idea James .. I know Charles has left some documentation pertaining Hermione with Ragnok in case none of us make it through. Thank Merlin , I survived though."
sirius spoke in small voice "even death is scared or her and Minni"
Frank snorted and Augusta turned and said " he should be I am tough nut to crack"
"Hear Hear" said everyone.
They all got ready to go the bank. James activated the portkey send from bank and they left Potter manor In swirl of magic.