A/N One thing about some of the information in this chapter that I didn't directly clarify, for the purposes of this story, a person's magical essence is most potent in their blood. Yes, it resides within their entire body but a witch would not be so without magic and I felt it fitting for it to be tied to blood. That information would have been in the first book Hermione received which is why she doesn't ask about it.
Once again, thank you all for reading this story. You're truly incredible. I do read all of the reviews even though I don't always address them in the author's note, they make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'm glad there was some confusion as to whether Narcissa or Bellatrix was writing to Hermione. It wasn't intentional for it to be able to go either way, in my mind, it was always Bella.
Could it be that there is a new longest chapter? Indeed! Chapter 14 is nearly four times longer than a typical chapter and Merlin does it have so much information. I wanted to split it into smaller parts but it won't flow as well and I didn't want to force breaks when they just weren't there. So, you have that to look forward to in the coming days, as well as a full explanation.
It has come to my attention that I didn't give a reason Hermione's parents said she couldn't come home for Christmas. It's nothing terribly important which is why I didn't add it. She won't be going home to visit her parents because they'll be away for a dental conference. It's not that they don't want her or anything potentially malicious.
This story will always be non-canon and JK Rowling will own this shit until she dies. Also, she's releasing an official book on wands for those of you who haven't seen yet.
Wandless magic is significantly more difficult than wordless magic. The purpose of a wand is to channel magic. If you remove a wand, the magic must be channeled directly through the caster. If done incorrectly, the caster can be overwhelmed by their own magic and may lose their sense of self completely. Wandless casting must be practiced with caution and under no circumstances should a novice attempt simultaneous wandless and wordless casting.
In order to cast without a wand, you must have no trepidation in allowing the magic to move directly through you. Center your magic and mind and allow yourself time to prepare. You must hold the spell within you until it is fully cast, so it is suggested to start with simple spells first. Do not prematurely release the spell, allow it to dissipate naturally. Do not fall prey to fear or the consequences will be dire.
Hermione knew this information. She had already read it, but she wanted to do so again before attempting wandless magic. She could feel the note tucked in her robe and it brought her a sense of comfort. Steadying herself, Hermione did not draw her wand but instead held out her arm, fingers relaxed but pointed at her target.
"Wingardium Leviosa," she said, voice loud in the empty room. She could feel the magic rocketing through her veins. She did not fight it, nor did she give in. Nearly releasing the spell in surprise, she couldn't help her slight disbelief that it worked. She caught herself just in time, and instead let it dissipate before she lowered her arm. Wandless casting was fun. She couldn't wait to simultaneously cast wandless and wordless spells. Refocusing, she knew she needed to be proficient in both individually before she should even attempt doing them together.
Thrilled with her progress after only an hour, Hermione made the split-second decision to give Snape the message. She was certain he would be working on potions, most likely whatever the toad of a woman requested of him so she could torture the students. She had noticed Harry's hand after he had served detention with the evil cow. Feeling a bit elated from the magic in her veins, she nearly skipped to Snape's potions workspace. She didn't though. She would never skip anywhere.
"Enter," called the monotone voice after she had knocked on his workshop door.
"Professor," she greeted, "I was hoping you might be able to clarify some things for me?"
"Very well, Ms. Granger," he nearly sighed, turning from his potion. Not voicing her questions, she merely pulled out the letter from Bellatrix and handed it to him, back facing up.
"I see," he murmured, looking over the two words scrawled on the parchment. Hermione kept quiet, waiting for Snape to think. She did not wish to irritate the man with her multitude of questions.
"You understand I must confirm what the sender of this letter already seems to know before I can offer you any explanations?"
"I-yes, Professor Snape."
With a brusque nod, he motioned for her to sit, turning back to his potion for a moment. He was glad he had decided to brew it when he did. He pulled an athame from one of the drawers and set it on the table between himself and Hermione.
"I must perform a single test, Ms. Granger. It will require a small sample of your blood, hence the athame, but it shall merely be a finger-prick. Before I continue, do you consent to this test?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. Snape merely twitched his eyebrows up in response. In two smaller cauldrons, he divided the potion equally before removing a small vial of blood from his sleeve and allowing a single drop of blood to drip into one potion. Turning to Hermione, he pricked her finger with the athame, allowing blood to collect on the tip before dropping a single drop of her blood into the other.
"In a few moments, Ms. Granger, the test results will be apparent. Allow me to explain some things to you while we wait. What I have just done is a blood test, but I will not reveal who the other blood belongs to unless the result is positive. We shall know it is positive if the potion inside each cauldron turns the same colour. If it is negative then the potions will be two different colours and you will not receive the answers to the questions you seek. However, the person who sent that letter to you is hardly ever wrong, and I believe the test will indeed be positive. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor."
Snape glanced down at the two cauldrons. Noticing Hermione's expression, he held up a hand to halt whatever she was about to ask. The reaction was nearly complete, and soon they would both have an answer to her question. Looking up at Hermione, he could see how antsy she was to know.
"Would you like to see for yourself?"
"Only if I have your permission, Professor."
"It is your blood test, Ms. Granger, and I know you like to see things for yourself rather than blindly believing what others tell you to be true."
She nodded, sliding off the stool and moving to stand next to Snape. She steeled herself before risking a glance down at the two cauldrons. Letting out a gasp, she stepped back. Both cauldrons had purple potions within.
"The blood sample I used was Morgan le Fay's," Snape said slowly, not wanting to overwhelm the girl. Hermione, for once in her life, was speechless.
"I can see that you are quite shocked by this news. Take a seat."
Hermione collapsed in her stool, still unable to process what she had just learned. Snape set a mug of hot chocolate in front of her and she numbly wrapped her hands around it. She stared into the brown liquid before looking up at her Professor.
"Are my parents-my muggle parents, that is-are they still my real parents?"
"In a sense, yes. But also no. They are the ones who conceived you, but your magic is directly inherited from Morgan le Fay. Biologically, the Grangers are your parents. Magically, you are the sole heir to the le Fay line. Magic tends to get rather complicated. Before she died, Morgana cast a spell that would preserve her magical line. There is a prophecy regarding her descendant. I will tell you what I know of it. But not tonight. You should get some rest; you are welcome to come back anytime during your free time tomorrow and I shall tell you more. It is nearly curfew, so I would hurry to Gryffindor Tower."
Hermione nodded, looking at her hands. She forced them to unwrap the mug as she stood. Her head was buzzing with what she had just learned. Lost in her head, Hermione had no recollection of the walk back to Gryffindor Tower. All she could think of was writing a letter to Bellatrix. She could use the older witch's wisdom. Normally, she'd be angry with Bellatrix for keeping it from her, but she understood that she wouldn't have believed it without proof, and Bellatrix was the one who told her to go to Snape. No, Bellatrix was not in the wrong, but someone was. Someone had hidden who she was and she wanted to know why. She had the sneaking suspicion that it was Dumbledore. The old codger had his thumbs in every pie and was intent on meddling in their lives'. She didn't notice one of the banners ripping in half behind her as she marched into her dormitory.
For My Dearest Friend, the Most Faithful
I have gone to the Potion Man as you suggested. Thank you for giving me a choice and allowing me to see the evidence instead of just telling me. I don't think I would have believed you. I am filled with rage at the knowledge that this was purposely hidden from me, most likely by Dumbledore. I still have much to hear before I know more of the truth, but I desperately need to write you. It is distressing that this information was hidden from me for so long. I am in need of guidance.
Sincerely,
The Brightest Witch of Her Age
Setting down her quill, Hermione let out a sigh. She would not be able to send the letter until morning unless she broke curfew. She was willing to do that, but she didn't want to get caught. She could really use the walk, though. An idea popped into her head and she only hoped Harry was still in the Common Room so she could ask.
"Harry, do you mind if I borrow your invisibility cloak? There's something I need to do, but I don't want to get caught and risk detention with Umbridge," she asked in a whisper.
"Sure, Hermione. Let me go grab it. I'll be right back," Harry said, vacating his seat to grab his cloak from his trunk. Hermione smiled at her friend's kindness. Harry had not even asked what she needed to do. Ron would have questioned her to no end if he owned the cloak.
"Here you go, Hermione. Don't worry about getting it back to me tonight. I know it's safe with you."
"Thank you, Harry."
She waited until she was out of the tower before slipping the cloak on. She silently cast a modified Muffliato before slowly making her way to the Owlery, the letter clutched in her hand. She only hoped the Death Eater wouldn't take several days to respond to her letter. Hermione had no idea if she could keep herself together that long.